Shine On
by Nate Grey
Summary: Lucy vanishes during Grimoire Heart's invasion, and Cana is banished from Fairy Tail until she can provide proof of her partner's fate. But in her search, Cana finds that where light fails, darkness always finds a way.
1. Cana

Notes: I used to like Cana. Right up until the middle of the Tenrou Island arc. So consider this something of a rant-inspired fanfic, not unlike "Bet Your Life" (though it doesn't end anywhere near that horribly). Just something I did to let off some steam over what I personally consider the temporary ruining of Cana's character.

Summary: Lucy vanishes during Grimoire Heart's invasion, and Cana is banished from Fairy Tail until she can provide proof of her partner's fate. But in her search, Cana finds that where light fails, darkness always finds a way.

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><p><strong>Shine On<strong>

**A Fairy Tail Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Cana<strong>

She remembered the way her heart filled to bursting, the moment she first saw the grave. Cana Alberona had known then that all her effort, all her devotion, all her tears, had been worth it. Her dream was about to be realized. She would become Fairy Tail's newest S-Class mage, and even if she never neared the heights that Erza or Mystogan had, her life would be complete.

Then her fingertips brushed the oddly warm stone, and light, brighter than any Cana had ever seen before, and would ever see again, spilled out, filled the air, and then slammed into her.

There was no pain. Cana remembered thinking that odd, since the light was clearly attacking her. But it didn't hurt. It didn't have to.

The pain would come later.

When she woke up, the grave was dark. Even the stone seemed to have turned black. There was no light, no warmth, nothing.

And her black Fairy Tail stamp, once proudly displayed on her lower left abdomen, was gone. The skin was smooth and unblemished, as if there had never been a mark there to start with.

As if she had never become a Fairy Tail mage at all.

Cana thought it was a bad dream. She thought it had to be. So she simply stood by the grave, and waited for herself to wake up.

She never did.

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><p>Erza was the one who finally came for her.<p>

Cana could see at once that Erza had been through a horrible battle. She no longer had the strength to support even her basic armor, and looked quite odd without it. Also out of place were the large amounts of bandages all over her body, and they only made Cana more aware of the fact that she herself was virtually untouched.

"Cana," Erza breathed in relief as she limped over to her, "thank goodness you're safe. We feared the worst when no one had seen you two. Is Lucy with you?"

"We got separated a long time ago," Cana murmured, recalling exactly how she had been the one to do the separating. She had even teased Gray into going it alone, just so she'd have the perfect chance to ditch Lucy.

Erza's face fell. "I see," she whispered. It was clear that she'd put all her hopes on Cana knowing exactly where Lucy was.

"Has... no one seen Lucy?" Cana asked, starting to get an intensely cold feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Natsu was able to track her scent to where you two were last together, but the trail ends there. We can't find any other trace of Lucy anywhere."

Cana dug into her purse and pulled out her Help Lucy card, which she had designed to alert her if Lucy were in serious danger. The card had not activated at all since she'd left Lucy. Theoretically, that meant wherever Lucy was, she was either relatively safe, or somehow beyond the card's ability to detect her status. Neither possibility was comforting, because even if Lucy were totally drained of magical power, at least one of her Celestial Spirits would have found a way to alert the guild, even if they had to summon themselves.

"We should get back to the others," Erza said at last. "Master says the island is no longer safe for us." As she spoke, her gaze went briefly to the bare spot on Cana's abdomen and lingered there, but quickly moved away.

Cana followed her without protest. More than once, she tried to read Lucy's fortune as they walked, but the cards kept slipping out of her hands. After a few tries, Cana gave up and stuffed the cards back into her purse.

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><p>Once back at the guild building, Lucy's disappearance became even more real. Natsu was moody and quicker to anger than usual, Gray's clothes stayed firmly in place, Levy refused to leave her room, and for once, Juvia's tears had nothing to do with her beloved Gray.<p>

Makarov demanded a detailed report from every guild member that had any contact with Lucy on the island. When it was Cana's turn to give her account, she left out the fact that she had put Lucy to sleep, instead saying they had split up to search for Mavis's grave. No one seemed to question this, and Gray's report matched hers up to the point where he had left them, so there was no reason to suspect Cana was lying.

There had been no mention of the exam since Lucy had vanished. Cana understood why, but felt it would be a waste, to have sacrified her partner and gained nothing. She approached Makarov privately that evening, and told him that she had been the only one to reach Mavis's grave.

Makarov gave her a long, considering look. "That is true," he said at last. "Erza confirmed that much. But you knew there was a strong enemy presence on the island. Did it never occur to you that your partner's safety was more important than the exam, which I must remind you, had already been cancelled?"

Cana knew what he wanted to hear. He wanted her to say that Lucy was smart, that she would have found her own way, since she had figured out the grave's location in the first place. He wanted Cana to say that she never would have found the grave without Lucy's help. More than anything, he wanted Cana to admit that she'd been wrong to prioritize the exam over Lucy.

But she couldn't do any of that.

"Master," she whispered, "I wanted more than anything to pass this exam. Lucy understood that when she agreed to be my partner. She promised to help me reach my goal, no matter what."

"Then there is no doubt in my mind that you have both the desire, and the potential to become an excellent S-Class mage, Cana," Makarov said slowly. "But I know now that you will never do so in Fairy Tail. You are hereby banished from this guild."

"For how long?" Cana heard herself ask.

"Until you can provide proof, either that your partner still lives, or that she has finished her journey in this life. Lucy was your responsibility, so it is the least you should have done, and the least you will do, before you set foot in this guild again."

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><p>No one said a word to her the day she left. Not one person in the guild where she'd spent twelve years of her life.<p>

At the train station, she ran into Gildarts, already preparing to leave town for his next job. Figuring she would never see him again, somehow it was so much easier to say what needed to be said.

"I'm your daughter," she told him.

Gildarts looked at her, really looked, as if seeing her for the first time. "No," he said simply, "you aren't. Maybe you once were, but not now."

The words hurt, more deeply than silence would have. Cana had been dreading them, or perhaps expecting them, since the day she'd first seen Gildarts. Her reply was just as cutting.

"Or maybe I just grew up to be exactly like my father. Leaving is what you seem to do best."

Cana turned her back on him, all too satisfied with the glimpse of guilt and hurt she'd seen in his eyes, but her mood quickly soured. The one thing she wanted most in that moment was to not be like her father at all. Maybe then, she wouldn't have left Lucy and gotten into such a huge mess in the first place. Or maybe she would have done that no matter who her father had been. There was no way to be sure. But at least, as his daughter, she had someone else to blame.

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><p>There were other guilds in other towns, but Cana joined none of them. Admitting that she was the daughter of an S-Class mage would have gotten her a free pass into nearly any guild, but Cana no longer thought of Gildarts as her father. She had failed to earn the right, and even if it were given to her, she no longer wanted it. Aside from that, there had been a subtle but definite shift in her Card Magic: it no longer felt quite the same, and a battle would be the worst place to discover a technique that no longer worked as well as it once had.<p>

She never bothered to search for Lucy. There was no point: Cana had no intention of ever going back to Fairy Tail, and she firmly believed that the only reason Griomire Heart hadn't bothered to leave Lucy's corpse was because the uncertainty would hurt the guild worse. If they had known for certain that Lucy was dead, they could eventually move on, and find ways to honor her memory. But being cursed to wonder whether she was dead or alive, whether she would ever return to them, that was true suffering.

Cana drifted around for the next few years, earning money when she needed it with her fortune telling. She still could not do a definite reading on Lucy's fate: the cards simply would not cooperate when she tried. She spent money only on food, drink, and hotels. The alcohol she had once guzzled to drown her sorrows had rapidly become useless: it tasted like little more than flavored water to her now, and only served to remind her that it was just one more thing in her life that had become dull and useless.

Fairy Tail's fame continued to grow without her. More often than she cared to admit, Cana overheard someone mention the guild, and each time, she made sure to leave town the following day. She seriously doubted she could outrun them forever, but she was going to try.

She even saw them, occasionally. But they either did not or would not recognize her as the Cana they had known. All except one, anyway, and Cana should have known it would be him.

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><p>Five years to the day that Cana left the guild, there was a knock on the window of her hotel room. Pausing to remind herself that she was on the sixth floor, Cana cautiously drew back the curtain, not entirely surprised to see the blue, winged cat beaming at her and waving.<p>

After a long pause, she opened the window to let him in. He flew in at once, latching onto her neck and nuzzling her chin. "Cana!" he squealed. "I missed you!"

She closed her eyes and gently scratched the sensitive spot behind his ears. "I missed you, too. But why are you here, Happy? You know I can't come back to the guild."

"But you can!" Happy insisted with a big smile. "Natsu is the Master now! He says you can come back any time you want!"

Cana stared at him, unwilling to believe it was that simple. Natsu had probably loved Lucy more than anyone else. "Really? Is that all he says?"

Happy hesitated. "Um... he says you have to apologize. For leaving Lucy." He quickly shook his head. "But I told him he was wrong! You wouldn't have done that, would you? You wouldn't have left Lucy all alone! She's your partner!"

She smiled sadly. Happy had been well-named: always willing to see the best in anyone, never doubting his friends, convinced that Lucy still lived, and refusing to accept that people were actually selfish and cruel at their core. At least, that she was.

"Go back to Natsu, and thank him for me," Cana said softly. "But remind him that he wasn't the one who banished me, Master Makarov was. I'll come back when I've met the original terms of my banishment, and not a moment sooner."

"But you will come back, won't you?" Happy asked.

"Of course I will," Cana replied, kissing his forehead and giving him a little squeeze as she lifted him up to the window. She knew he would believe in her. He could do nothing else.

Happy gave her one last big grin before extending his wings and soaring into the sky.

Cana sighed and closed the window. "Sorry, Happy," she whispered, and then, more faintly, "Sorry, Lucy..."

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><p>Cana had many dreams of Lucy, though most were better classified as nightmares. The worst also happened to be the last.<p>

In yet another hotel room, Cana woke up early one morning to find Lucy standing over her bed. She looked entirely unchanged from the last time that Cana had seen her alive, and was even wearing the same outfit.

Cana's first gut reaction was fear: she had been telling herself that Lucy was dead for so long, so seeing her alive and up close was pretty nerve-wracking. Aside from that, she fully expected that Lucy had risen from the grave to haunt her.

Both of these ideas proved to be wrong, as Lucy smiled and reached out, pressing a very real, very warm hand to Cana's cheek. "Cana," Lucy said softly, smiling down at her. "I finally found you, partner."

Even then, Cana was still willing to write it off as a hallucination. That is, until she saw something that convinced her that Lucy was all too real.

Lucy had reached out with her right hand, and Cana could clearly see that the back of it was unmarked. There was no longer a Fairy Tail stamp there, just as there was no longer one on Cana.

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><p><strong>Continued in Chapter 2: Lucy<strong>

Left alone at the mercy of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, Lucy bears witness to the fall of Grimoire Heart, and the rise of the Children of Zeref.

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><p><strong>Endnotes:<strong>

A couple of things I should probably point out, in case I don't touch on them later:

1) You will notice the lack of Acnologia (for now, anyway). That's done on purpose: I, for one, feel that if you're fully aware of yourself and your pals being in mortal danger, you don't stick around on an island now lacking divine protection so that killer dragons have the chance to show up. Maybe it's just me.

2) Since certain members of Fairy Tail seem so obsessed with the idea of becoming S-Class mages that they temporarily lose their already loose grip on common sense (I trust I don't need to name names), let us assume that a guild member going missing would be considered a big enough emergency to ensure the permanent cancellation of the exam. For EVERYONE.

3) Some people may scoff at the idea of Natsu becoming Guild Master so quickly. That's fine, I hesitated over it myself. Though for those who are against it, I have only one word for you: Macao.

4) I don't hate Gildarts. I do, however, think someone so powerful should pay much closer attention to whether or not he was impregnating any of the many women he apparently dated. Especially with the high chance of them producing equally powerful children, all pissed off at the world in general and their father in particular for giving them major abandonment issues. Any X-Men fan can tell you THAT scenario never ends well for anyone involved.

5) In case anyone was wondering why I dislike Cana so much, I'll probably include a rant at the end of the story. Though, to keep it short and simple for now: friends don't leave friends asleep out in the open to get crushed to death or worse. Especially not for the sake of an exam that's already been cancelled.


	2. Lucy

Notes: Things won't occur exactly as they did in the manga, obviously. They start to deviate around the point where Lucy normally would have fought Kain Hikaru (which still assumes that it is normal for one member of Fairy Tail to leave another for dead, but we won't get into that can of worms, yet).

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><p><strong>Shine On<strong>

**A Fairy Tail Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Lucy<strong>

A sea of bright blue greeted Lucy as she opened her eyes. At first, she had no idea where she was. The last thing she could remember with certainty was searching for Mavis's grave with Cana.

"You would be wise not to move much," said a voice directly in front of her.

Lucy blinked and raised her head from the cold floor, realizing that she was lying within a blue, spherical barrier. Just outside the barrier was a young, pink-haired girl in a red cape, with a rather serious expression on her face. As Lucy began to recall the events on Tenrou Island, her eyes widened. "Where am I?" she whispered.

The girl frowned at her. "That information is classified. You only need know that you are currently a prisoner of Grimoire Heart."

"Oh no," Lucy murmured, dropping her head. Then she returned her attention to the girl. "Oh, I'm sorry. You're probably worried, right? Try not to be scared, sweetie. Once I figure out a way out of here, I'll help you get home, I promise."

The girl's expression flew from disapproving to puzzled in an instant. "You seem to be under the mistaken impression that I am also a prisoner. This is inaccurate."

Lucy stared at her, becoming rather puzzled herself. "But why else would a cute little girl like you be here, if you're not a prisoner, too?"

The girl seemed extremely insulted, despite the noticeable blush in her cheeks. "I am Meredy, of the Seven Kin of Purgatory. You would do well to show me the proper respect."

"What?" Lucy cried, backpedaling at once. "You're one of them?" She didn't realize how far back she'd moved until her hand touched the boundary of the barrier. Pain unlike anything she'd ever felt engulfed Lucy, tearing a startled scream from her lips. Agony slammed into her body again and again until she managed to roll back to her original position in the barrier's center.

"I suspect you can better appreciate my power now," Meredy said calmly, as if seeing such torture didn't bother her in the least. "That will happen any time you attempt to breach the boundary of my Maguilty Sphere. I wouldn't recommend repeating the process, unless you would prefer to be rendered unconscious by pain overloading your senses."

"Why are you doing this?" Lucy gasped, her eyes tearing up.

"I hold no grudge against you personally. However, my orders come from Ultear. I am to keep you here until she returns." Meredy paused, frowning thoughtfully. "It is odd. Our original orders were to destroy all members of Fairy Tail. I am uncertain as to why Ultear wanted you alive. But that is how you shall stay, at least until she returns."

"Thank you, Meredy," Lucy whispered.

Meredy blinked, becoming even more confused. "For what?"

"I... I don't want to die," Lucy admitted softly.

Meredy shifted her feet uneasily and turned away. "You will notice that your weapons have been taken. I doubt you possess any magic that could free you in the first place, but I advise you to stay where you are. I will not hesitate to hurt you, if you attempt to escape."

Lucy said nothing, but she could see that Meredy was right. There was no sign of her keys or her whip, and she knew no spells that would help her current situation. Her only real hope was that one of her Spirits would summon itself and come to her rescue, since she had no idea where she was, or if any of her guildmates were nearby.

Just then, the floor began tremble slightly, and the next thing Lucy knew, an extremely large, pale man was peering down at her, leaning dangerously close to the barrier to do so. Lucy had no idea who he was, though judging by the fact that he was both drooling excitedly, and wearing an outfit that left much of his overweight body exposed, her gut reaction was to scream and back away, though she was careful to avoid the barrier's boundary this time.

Much to her relief, Meredy sighed and gave the man a sharp poke, which was clearly imbued with some of her Maguilty magic, since it caused him to whimper. "Stop that, Kain. We are not under orders to keep her calm, but I would prefer she wasn't screaming the entire time."

"But I want to play with her!" Kain whined, stomping his feet like a very large child. "She's so cute, like a doll! Like a female Mr. Cursey!"

"Earlier you said you were going to stomp her flat," Meredy pointed out.

"She wasn't moving then! But now she is!" Kain again peered at Lucy hungrily, this time conveniently forgetting not to touch the barrier as he attempted to cop a feel.

Lucy grimaced as Kain screamed in pain, but was inwardly glad that in addition to keeping her in, the barrier would also keep him out.

Kain was still blubbering and clutching his pained hand when five more people walked into view. Lucy spotted the Master of Grimoire Heart at once: she could sense his overwhelming magical power with ease despite the fact that he was covered in bandages, and she began to feel ill as he came closer. In some ways, however, the man behind him was infinitely worse: where the Master at least had the decency to restrain the bulk of his power, this man seemed to be purposely focusing his immense, malicious magic on Lucy, and it did nothing to improve her sickly state.

The Master paused, as if it had taken him that long to notice what was happening, and frowned. "Enough, Bluenote," he snapped. "If you kill her, Ultear will not have the chance to adequately explain why she bothered saving the girl in the first place."

"It's all her fault, Master Hades," Bluenote whispered, his voice trembling with rage. "Her and those cursed Fairies. None of them would reveal the location of Mavis's grave, and even when I finally found it, I could discover none of its secrets."

Hades chuckled. "They would hardly be members of Fairy Tail if they abandoned another member, even a fallen one, so easily."

"Then I was right to utterly destroy the grave," Bluenote replied, glaring at Lucy before turning away. "If I cannot possess the secret of Fairy Glitter, then no one will."

Most of this conversation meant nothing to Lucy, except for the parts about Bluenote torturing her friends, and destroying Mavis's grave. She wished desperately that her keys had not been taken, so that she could at least ask one of her Spirits to check on her friends.

"Did it never occur to you that I might be able to restore the grave to an earlier time, possibly revealing some of its secrets in the process?" asked a tall woman with long, black hair. She was clearly annoyed with Bluenote, unwise as that seemed to Lucy. "I still could, of course, assuming you weren't so thoughtless as to simply obliterate the grave when you had your little tantrum like a spoiled child."

Bluenote did not seem properly chastised, however: he simply glared at Ultear instead of Lucy. "There should still be... pieces left," he answered.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Honestly, sometimes I swear Meredy has more sense than the lot of you," she sighed, stroking the girl's head fondly.

Lucy suspected now that the woman had to be Ultear, a theory that was soon confirmed.

"I had sense enough not to take a useless hostage, Ultear," Bluenote pointed out.

"Yes, because a Celestial Spirit mage with ten Gold keys is entirely useless, considering the Seven Kin of Purgatory are currently short three members," Ultear spat, narrowing her eyes. "I'm starting to think you're being this idiotic on purpose, though I suspect it would be worse if you were actually this stupid."

For a brief moment, Lucy feared that Bluenote would lose his temper and attack Ultear, but before he got the chance, Hades interrupted.

"Enough. Ultear, I cannot fault you for recruiting, but I trust you have a better reason for saving the girl than just that."

"Of course, Master Hades," Ultear replied at once. "She can also act as a deterrent, if Fairy Tail should ever become a greater threat to us. They will not dare to attack while we have one of their own aboard."

After a long pause, Hades nodded. "She will be your responsibility, Ultear. Use whatever resources you require, but be aware that I expect to see results immediately."

Ultear smiled. "Please trust me, Master Hades. No one knows more about personality-altering magic than I do."

Lucy opened her mouth, ready to refuse to have anything to do with them. But she caught Meredy's eye, and decided against it. There were already two among them that thought she should be dead, and she didn't want to take any chances making it three or more.

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><p>Despite Ultear's claim, she did not immediately do anything to Lucy. Instead, she spent the next hour searching through one of the largest libraries that Lucy had ever seen. Meredy, on the other hand, kept a close watch on Lucy, but was apparently used to being near Ultear, so she moved the Maguilty Sphere, with Lucy still stuck inside it, to the library for that purpose.<p>

It was admittedly rather boring: while Ultear was focused entirely on the books, Meredy was standing guard, constantly staring at Lucy, but then quickly looking away whenever Lucy looked at her. At first she thought that maybe Meredy was actually shy, but then it occurred to her that maybe Ultear would not approve of Meredy being so interested in either a prisoner, or perhaps just another person at all.

Finally, Ultear finished with the books and turned to Lucy, a rather sinister smile on her face. "You don't like me much, do you?"

This was the first time that anyone in Grimoire Heart had given any consideration to Lucy's feelings, so she decided to be honest. "Actually, considering that you apparently saved my life twice from two of your murderous friends, I like you just fine."

Ultear seemed to think that was funny. "I see. And has it occurred to you that killing you might have been infinitely kinder, compared to what I may do to you now?"

"No," Lucy answered at once. "You might expect me to do some horrible things, but I doubt being murdered would be better. Besides, Meredy likes you, so you can't be that awful."

Meredy turned bright red as Ultear glanced at her. "Oh? And you value Meredy's opinion? Any particular reason why?"

Lucy hesitated, not wanting to get Meredy in trouble. "She wasn't cruel to me, and she could have been."

"Well, she isn't a cruel child. Not by nature, at least. Determined, and at times impulsive, but not cruel. It isn't the way I raised her."

"Then I'm glad you did."

Ultear considered that for a moment, while Meredy fidgeted nervously.

"Do you really expect me to join you?" Lucy asked.

"Do you really expect to have a choice in the matter?" Ultear asked mildly. "I saved you because you might prove useful. If you don't, then you can guess what happens. I'll be punished for wasting guild resources, and Bluenote will take great pleasure in killing you. And since you just admitted that you wouldn't prefer that, you had better start considering the benefits of dark guild membership, especially as it relates to keeping you alive. So yes, I could alter your personality and force you to join, but I don't think I'll have to, given the alternative. What I've been looking into is maximizing your potential as a Celestial Spirit mage, and I may have found the answer."

Before Ultear could get any farther into her explanation, the entire room shook, and a wave of dark magical power rolled over them, leaving each female with a feeling of hopelessness and fear. Ultear shook off the effects first, and immediately ran for the door. "Meredy, don't let her out of your sight!" she shouted over her shoulder.

Meredy grimaced, glancing between Lucy and the door anxiously. It was clear that she wanted to follow Ultear, but also didn't want to disobey Ultear's order, either. Lucy genuinely felt bad for her, and seriously considered promising that she wouldn't try to escape. Meredy was unlikely to believe her, but Lucy truthfully had no ideas on how she might escape. She still wasn't sure exactly where she was, and beyond that, had no idea where her keys were being kept.

Without warning, the room shook several more times, and the dark magical power only seemed to grow stronger and closer.

"We will move to a more secure location," Meredy decided at last. With a wave of her hand, the barrier vanished, only to be replaced by a pair of blue handcuffs connected by a chain. These instantly attached themselves to Lucy's wrists, though not uncomfortably so.

"Where are we going?" Lucy asked.

"Down," Meredy said simply, gesturing for her to stand.

Lucy knew better than to ask for details, so she simply started walking, and turned where Meredy told her to. Lucy had originally thought she was being held in some kind of large building, but the path Meredy chose this time led past what almost had to be an engine room. All Lucy knew for certain is that they were definitely moving away from the mass of dark power, and that she could sense several other large powers moving toward it. Whatever the threat was, Grimoire Heart was clearly moving to deal with it.

Although Lucy wasn't sure she cared for the way each of the powers she felt moving toward the dark power seemed to vanish moments later. She wasn't sure that she could deal with an evil more powerful that Grimoire Heart at the moment.

Meredy apparently felt the same way, because she abruptly stopped giving Lucy directions, and stopped moving entirely. "Something is wrong," she said. "I can't sense Ultear anymore."

"You should go to her," Lucy answered at once, looking over her shoulder at Meredy. "Finding yourself all alone... it isn't a good feeling."

"I don't need you to tell me that!" Meredy snapped, though Lucy could tell her anger was truly directed elsewhere. "And if you're thinking of trying to escape-"

"Where would I go? I'm probably safer with you, anyway."

Meredy opened her mouth to reply, but in that moment, the ceiling exploded above them, showering them with debris.

Lucy froze, unable to make a decision. Later Lucy would reflect on this moment, uncertain if she froze because Meredy might think she was escaping, or if she was simply unwilling to leave Meredy to possibly be crushed.

Meredy had no such problem, and shoved Lucy away from her, but doing so sealed her fate.

Amidst the falling chunks of ceiling, a glossy black chain suddenly became visible. Thought it seemed to be falling at first, it turned sharply in mid-air and wrapped around Meredy's still outstretched arms several times. Meredy seemed too shocked to respond properly as the chain tightened and then began to withdraw rapidly, retreating back up into the ceiling, and dragging her along with it. She was even more startled when Lucy desperately grabbed onto her ankles.

"What are you doing?" Meredy demanded as they were both yanked upward with no sign of slowing down. "Let go, you fool!"

"I'm not losing another friend today!" Lucy shouted, glaring up Meredy.

Meredy's face went blank at that response, as if she were unable to believe it, or simply unwilling to deal with it at the time.

The first layer of ceiling that they crashed through was nearly enough to dislodge Lucy, so she wrapped her handcuffs around Meredy's legs as best she could. By the third, Lucy had nearly lost her grip, and with the fourth she actually did, due mainly to Meredy being knocked unconscious, which caused the handcuffs to dissolve. Lucy hit the ground hard, with Meredy landing a few feet in front of her. The black chain withdrew from Meredy's arms, slitering back toward its owner: a man so overflowing with dark magical power that Lucy felt sure he would destroy everything around him, simply because he could. As she took in the scene, this belief was only reinforced: the other remaining members of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, and even Bluenote, were all sprawled in various positions around the room. None of them looked quite dead so far, but it was clear that none of them would be getting up anytime soon.

The only other person in the room still standing was Hades, and it was a very close thing: his heavily bandaged chest was stained with blood, and his eyes were wide and fearful as he stared at the dark mage before him. "What is it that you want from us?" the old man demanded. "All that we did was in the name of your revival!"

"I never asked to be revived, and certainly not in this way," the dark mage replied. "Your foolishness and arrogance only prove what I believed all along: it it past time for this era to end. You have sealed the fate of your world. So many will perish, and the first will be your children. Your first punishment is to watch."

Lucy watched in horror as the black chains burst fron the floor, wrapping around each fallen member of Grimoire Heart. The dark mage reached out and briefly touched Kain. The huge man's body, already pale, became even paler, and his body began to collapse on itself, until nothing remained but his clothing.

Hades seemed to lose what little patience he had left. "Curse you, Zeref!" he howled, hurling all of his remaining power in an enormous crimson ball.

Without even looking in his direction, Zeref made a small gesture. The ball instantly boomeranged back towards its caster, and Hades screamed as he was consumed by his own magic. "If you dare to challenge Zeref with dark magic, you are simply asking for a faster demise. No one knows the darkness better. You would have done well to stay in the light, old man."

Lucy had seen enough. She crawled over to Meredy and grasped the black chains binding her, tugging as hard as she could. Not only was there no give in the chains, but they were intensely cold to the touch, and Lucy felt herself growing weaker each additional second that she was in contact with them. She hardly even noticed when Zeref's shadow fell over her, although there was no way she could ignore his voice.

"Leave her. She is meant to suffer with the rest."

"No!" Lucy snapped, glaring up at him. "She's just a little girl! She's made some bad choices, sure, but she doesn't deserve to die for them!"

"Are you so sure of that?" Zeref asked softly.

"Yes! I haven't even known her a whole day, and I can tell that! You can't sentence someone to death just because you're stronger than them!"

From Zeref's blank expression, it was clear that he didn't agree with her. Despite that, he did not immediately react to the statement. He simply stared at Lucy for a long moment. "Are you willing to give your life, in order to spare hers?" he finally asked.

Lucy's eyes widened, both in shock and fear. Then she looked at Meredy, her eyes glazing over with tears. "Yes," she whispered. "Kill me, but promise you'll let her live."

"I can't do that," Zeref replied, startling her. "At least, I won't. You are proof that there is still hope for this era, and perhaps even for this guild, since they captured you alive. To kill you, even as a noble sacrifice, would serve no purpose. Aside from that, I see that you are a member of Fairy Tail. That makes you a friend of Natsu."

Lucy's eyes bugged out. "YOU know Natsu?"

Zeref ignored her question. "I will not kill you. I will not kill the child. But someone must accept her punishment, or the lesson will not be learned."

"Give it... to me," Ultear gasped from where she was lying. "Meredy is my child, and... I am the one who saved the girl."

Zeref gestured, and the chains binding Ultear dragged her across the floor, until she was lying beside Meredy. "You will experience agony in its purest form. Are you prepared?"

"Will I survive this?" Ultear asked bluntly.

"I will not promise it. That is up to you and your strength of will."

Ultear glanced at Meredy and nodded. "I accept your terms."

Zeref closed his eyes and placed his right hand on Meredy's forehead. His left hand hovered over Ultear's forehead, and then abruptly dropped.

Ultear's body immediately jerked against the chains, and harsh screams of terrible pain flew from her mouth. Lucy clapped her hands over her ears, but forced herself to watch until Ultear collapsed after several long minutes of torture. This could have easily been Lucy's punishment, after all.

"Did you know that pain is like a footprint?" Zeref asked. "Each time you hurt someone, you leave a mark on them, but it leaves a mark on you as well. For those like me who can see these marks, it is a simple task to recreate the sensation."

"So you made her feel the pain she's caused everyone she's ever hurt?" Lucy guessed.

"No. That would certainly kill her," Zeref answered with such confidence that it was eerie. "This is simply the pain felt by those she killed in a single village. The same village that Meredy once called home, if I'm not mistaken."

"You... aren't lying," Meredy whispered, opening her eyes.

"I am Zeref, and it would be infinitely simpler to kill you. I have no reason to lie to you, child."

"You won't kill me?" Meredy asked, sounding surprised.

"This one has prevented it," Zeref replied, gesturing to Lucy. "She alone is the reason I have decided to spare the remainder of Grimoire Heart, for the moment."

Meredy stared up at Lucy in disbelief. "Why?" she whispered. "We are enemies. You shouldn't care what happens to me."

"But I do care," Lucy insisted. "That's what makes us friends." And since Meredy could do nothing to stop her, Lucy leaned over and kissed the girl's cheek.

"You're so odd," Meredy decided at last, but Lucy could see the faint blush in her cheeks. "Anyway, um... thanks."

"You're very welcome, Meredy," Lucy replied. Then she noticed that Zeref was staring at them with a huge, sappy smile on his face. "Um... so, you're Zeref?" Lucy asked him hesitantly. "What's that like?"

His smile vanished at once. "Do you really want to know?"

"Actually, now I'm not so sure I do."

"You should. Otherwise I might have to kill you."

"But why?" Lucy squeaked in fear. "I don't even know you! You couldn't possibly have a reason to want to kill me!"

"I don't want to kill anyone, and yet it is necessary. This world cannot continue on as it is. In order to change it, I must kill."

"But why are you so sure that killing ME is such a great idea?" Lucy demanded.

"It may not be. But many will undoubtedly die before this world can change for the better. You might simply be among them."

"Yet you keep talking as if you are personally going to kill ME and no one else!"

Zeref blinked. "I apologize for the misunderstanding, then."

"So, just to be clear, you have no personal desire to kill me, but in the process of you killing lots of people, you might still kill me?"

He nodded. "That sounds about right. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Lucy asked eagerly. She felt pretty certain now that Zeref was, if nothing else, fairly random in who he did or didn't kill at most times, and figured there might still be a way for her to end up on his good side. Meredy, too, if they were extremely lucky.

"I am going to bring an end to this era. Nothing can stop that. But I would not be opposed to some help. I am willing to overlook the sins of those who pledge their allegiance to me, and help me usher in the new age. Perhaps during your service, you will prove yourselves worthy of existing in the new era."

"So we have to help you kill lots of people, or you'll just kill us now?" Lucy asked weakly.

Zeref considered that for a moment. "Basically, yes." He turned to the remaining members of Grimoire Heart, most of whom had been jarred awake by Ultear's screams earlier. "That goes for all of you. Serve me, or die a death worthy of your sins."

"You should join him," Meredy suggested softly to Lucy. "I will. It won't be so bad. It's probably better that he doesn't actually enjoy killing people. That shoud mean he won't expect you to like it, either. Anyway, he's Zeref. Chances are he has plenty of ways to kill tons of people without ever actually having to see them."

"You know, that doesn't really help as much as you thought it would," Lucy sighed.

* * *

><p>Lucy spent most of that night in the library, and she was not alone.<p>

Most of Grimoire Heart had packed themselves into the library as well, and were frantically researching ways to improve their magic, so as to be of some use to Zeref (and out of fear of what would happen to them if they failed). Even Bluenote had dropped all hostility toward Lucy and dragged a half-hearted description of what she thought Fairy Glitter might look like out of her. Lucy did not consider this a betrayal of her guild: she genuinely knew nothing about Fairy Glitter, and simply told Bluenote that it was probably very sparkly.

Meredy had decided to stay with Ultear in the infirmary. The woman still lived, but she had not regained consciousness, and Lucy honestly doubted she would anytime soon. Really, she wasn't even sure if Meredy wanted Ultear to survive, or if she just wanted to kill Ultear herself. Lucy didn't like the idea of Meredy killing anyone, but judging from the way she had calmly accepted Zeref's invitation, there was a good chance that it wouldn't be her first kill.

In the meantime, Lucy had plenty to do. Before going to the infirmary, Meredy had returned Lucy's keys and whip. They both figured that Zeref would kill her even if she managed to escape, so there was no point in treating her like a hostage when they were all Zeref's hostages. Lucy had only dared to summon Plue, and told him to inform the other Spirits of her situation. She briefly thought about asking him to go to Fairy Tail, but decided against it. Even Natsu would be powerless to stop Zeref, and she didn't want anyone from her guild trying to save her. Phantom Lord had merely hurt them, badly, but Zeref killed his enemies. Lucy couldn't bear the thought of any of her friends dying for her. Worse, she didn't want them to know that she was now working for Zeref. She missed them terribly, but told herself it was for the best.

All she could do was go along with Ultear's original plan. The book Ultear had left out was very old, and it had a great deal of information about Celestial Spirit magic. The page Ultear had last been reading was all about something called Spirit Fortification, which looked both extremely difficult and highly useful. Apparently, it had been used ages ago, but fell out of practice for some reason. Lucy soon realized why: not only did it require a large number of Spirits to be effective, it called for an enormous amount of magic, more than she had ever used on any one spell. She would have to get much stronger to even consider using such magic consistently.

Then again, it wasn't as if she had any choice in the matter.

That night, in the room that Zeref assigned to her, Lucy summoned Crux, and made a request that startled him awake.

"I need to know how I can become strong enough to summon the Celestial Spirit King."

* * *

><p><strong>Continued in Chapter 3: Natsu<strong>

Fairy Tail is still recovering from the loss of Lucy when they are forced to face the threat of the dragon Acnologia, losing Makarov in the battle. The somehow not-quite-dead Master Mavis intervenes to save the guild, and to select the next leader. Fairy Tail's S-Class/Master Exam will soon begin.

* * *

><p><strong>Endnotes:<strong>

I'm making some guesses as to Zeref's motivation, based on what I've seen so far.


	3. Natsu

Notes: This chapter took a lot longer than I expected it to, but it does cover everything I wanted it to.

* * *

><p><strong>Shine On<strong>

**A Fairy Tail Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Natsu<strong>

It was nothing unusual for Lucy Heartfilia's house to be occupied while she was away. In fact, it had become something of a guild tradition for random members to break into the house, lie in wait, and badly startle Lucy once she got home. Lucy had complained, certainly, but she had never complained about feeling lonely or neglected, nor had she ever tried to get her locks changed (not that it would have done any good, since Erza had been knocking doors off their hinges for so long that she had near constant job requests from Magnolia's locksmiths).

The gathering that night would have given a great deal for Lucy to walk through her door as if nothing had changed, but she didn't, because it had.

Natsu had taken his usual spot on Lucy's bed, but had never looked more restless. Happy was stretched out beside him, staring hopefully at the door. Wendy was curled up beside him, asleep with her head in Erza's lap. This was a small comfort at best: Wendy had cried even harder than Juvia upon learning of Lucy's disappearance, and perhaps the only person who had taken it worse than her was Levy. It was all proof that as much as Lucy had loved the guild, they had all loved her back just as much.

Natsu was not really waiting for anything in particular, so when the knock at the door did come, he was more surprised than anyone.

Happy instantly launched himself at the door, clearly hoping to find Lucy on the other side, but everyone else knew better: Lucy had keys to her own house, after all, and as much as her uninvited visitors annoyed her, she would never allow them to let her in as if she were the one visiting.

They were all surprised when Gajeel barged into the house, but less so when they saw that he was accompanied by Levy and Pantherlily. "Told you they'd be here," Gajeel snorted as he pulled out a chair for Levy. "Damn freeloaders wouldn't go anywhere else."

Levy's face was red and puffy from crying nonstop, and the moment she sat down, Pantherlily hopped into her lap and allowed her to squeeze him tightly.

"So what's the plan, Salamander?" Gajeel asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Natsu frowned. "What plan?"

"Don't give me that. You're not the type that would just mope around here. You're supposed to run off and do the first stupid thing that comes to mind. So again: what's the plan?"

The words were in Natsu's mouth before he even knew it. "I'm going back to Tenrou Island in the morning."

Erza gasped. "Master has forbidden it. The island is no longer safe for us."

"Do I look like I care?" Natsu snapped. "Maybe I missed something important. I'm going to retrace Lucy's trail again."

"I'm going, too," Gajeel added, drawing several surprised looks. "Levy asked me to, and my nose is much better than that dinky bulb on your face."

Natsu smirked, but said nothing to contradict Gajeel's claim. That he hadn't was a sure sign of how seriously he was taking finding Lucy.

"I'll go," Wendy said as she sat up. "I don't know how good I am at tracking, but I might as well learn while I can."

"Master will not be pleased," Erza warned them.

"You going to tell him?" Natsu challenged.

"No," she sighed, shaking her head. "I want Lucy found, too. But if you're going to outright defy Master, at least bring back some new information."

Natsu nodded. "I won't come back until I do. That's a promise."

"You should try looking for Ultear," Levy said abruptly.

"Why?" Natsu asked.

"She uses Lost Magic. It's called the Arc of Time. I saw a little of it on the island. I think she can force things into the future."

"Like people?" Wendy asked, her eyes wide. "Like Lucy?"

"I don't know. But maybe that's why Lucy's trail just ended. If Ultear could influence the environment, maybe she could force it into the future, too, and erode away any trace of Lucy. I know I'm grasping at straws, but we were completely unprepared for the type of magic that Grimoire Heart uses. There's no telling what they're truly capable of."

Natsu had more or less stopped listening after the part about Lucy. He already believed that Grimoire Heart had something, possibly everything, to do with Lucy's disappearance. If so, he would find them, save her, and make them pay. It was that simple in his mind. He didn't want to consider what he might do if she wasn't with them. For that matter, neither would Grimoire Heart. "So it's settled. We leave just before dawn."

* * *

><p>None of the Dragon Slayers slept that night. Natsu could not say for certain why this was, only that it didn't bother him. Wendy passed the time by sniffing Lucy's belongings and committing the scent to memory. Natsu and Gajeel mostly sat around glaring at nothing in particular, though Gajeel and Erza had both forced Levy to sleep in Lucy's bed once she began nodding off.<p>

Though Natsu had never said as much, he had no intention of taking Happy with him. Oddly enough, this was also true of the other Dragon Slayers: Pantherlily had decided to look after Levy, and Carla had stayed at the guild building to help care for the injured. Natsu didn't really expect they would find anything dangerous on the island, other than the creatures that already lived there, but as far as he was concerned, he'd lost one friend too many recently.

Levy woke up early the next morning to prepare a heaping helping of SolidScript for all three, each in their preferred flavor. Wendy ate as much as she could and offered the rest to Natsu, but her share seemed to evaporate in his mouth and only served to annoy him.

They had never really discussed how they would get to the island. Natsu just figured they would take a boat from somewhere and worry about the consequences later. After all, it wasn't like they weren't good for it: everyone in Magnolia knew where Fairy Tail was located, and there were always at least several people in the guild building that could be forced into easy labor to repay for damages suffered, indirectly or otherwise, during guild jobs.

This worry turned out to be entirely unnecessary: they were met at the docks by Reedus, and without a word, he quickly painted a massive, smiling whale on his chest. In seconds, the whale leaped off his chest, rapidly expanding in size and crashing down in the water.

Natsu couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. The whale was a friend, not a vehicle. He would have no motion sickness on this trip.

"Just find Lucy," Reedus said simply, and hurried away without another word.

* * *

><p>The whale got them to the island with no trouble. Even then, it did not disappear, so while Natsu assumed it intended to wait and take them back, he also assumed that they were working on a timetable.<p>

As expected, Lucy's scent had faded somewhat, but Natsu was able to lead Gajeel and Wendy to the spot where it simply vanished with ease. They decided to spread out and search in different directions, then double back to meet up in half an hour. However, even doing this twice brought them no new information. There was simply no other trace of Lucy anywhere on the island.

Part of Natsu had expected as much: Grimoire Heart was involved, so the answers had to lie with them. What they really needed was to confront the dark guild and demand answers. He wasn't sure how Gajeel and Wendy would respond to this idea, though. Gajeel was always eager for a fight, but it was clear that he was still greatly concerned about Levy. As for Wendy, Natsu was still surprised that she'd agreed to disobey Makarov even this much. He was sure he could convince her to come along if Gajeel was on board, because she wouldn't like dealing with the pressure of being the only available Dragon Slayer in Fairy Tail.

Seeing no point in wasting valuable time, Natsu simply told them what he was thinking. He could tell from their immediate reactions that neither one was going to outright refuse, but they also weren't going to agree immediately.

"They'd squash the three of us like bugs," Gajeel said plainly. "Even if we can't get the whole guild in on it, we need some serious back-up to pull that off."

"I'll go if Master and Carla approve," was all Wendy would agree to.

It was then that Natsu realized something important himself. If Makarov disapproved and forbade them from going, it wouldn't matter. Natsu would gladly leave the guild if it meant getting even a step closer to finding Lucy. He couldn't say if this was because she was more important than his other friends, or if it was simply because she was missing. He only knew that he could not simply go on as a member of Fairy Tail if the guild didn't exhaust every possible method of finding Lucy.

With nothing left to discuss, the trio headed back to the whale. Natsu fully expected the Master to be waiting on them when they reached the docks. They would likely be punished, but he didn't care. It probably wouldn't be anything too severe, because the Master had never been one to punish people for following their hearts. In any case, Natsu decided that he would apologize when they got back, at least to Wendy. Gajeel was used to being in trouble, so he likely wouldn't care.

Gajeel boarded the whale first, and Natsu was just about to boost Wendy up when they all heard it. Despite being a sound that none of them had heard in years, it was instantly recognizable: a dragon's roar.

All thoughts of leaving the island vanished from Natsu's mind. While he could tell that this dragon was not Igneel, it was still a dragon, and that was all that mattered.

"It's not her," Wendy murmured softly, her face falling. "It's not Grandine."

"But it's still a dragon," Gajeel insisted, already back on land. "It might know something about the others."

Wendy nodded, and said something that Natsu had never even considered. "Maybe it even knows something about Lucy?"

There were two possible ways to take that, and Natsu did not like to think that Grimoire Heart might have a dragon on their side. But if that was indeed the case, they were the perfect mages to defeat it. "Let's go," Natsu said, and the other two nodded at once.

They did not actually need to go anywhere: the moment the enormous black dragon broke through the clouds, it headed straight for them, landing in front of them with a terrific crash that shook the entire island. At first glance, there was nothing but rage in the dragon's white eyes.

It did not occur to Natsu to be afraid as he approached the dragon. "Hey!" he shouted. "Do you know what happened to Igneel and the other dragons?!"

The dragon looked toward Natsu, so it had clearly heard him. Instead of answering, it raised a foot and tried to stomp him into the ground. Natsu dodged, but it was a close thing: for something so huge, the dragon was lightning fast.

"Please stop!" Wendy cried at the top of her lungs. "We only want to know about the other dragons!"

"I think there's only one language this thing understands," Gajeel said, cracking his knuckles. "So aim for vital points and try not to kill it."

Normally, such a statement might have horrified Wendy, but she saw the expressions on her comrades' faces and knew it was just talk. Neither of them was looking too confident about their chances of winning. "I'll support you both!" she assured them. "Just focus on the battle and don't worry about anything else!" Wendy thrust her hands out, grabbing both of them by the arm. "Arms x Armor x Vernier!" she cried.

Natsu felt his power soar with the effects of Wendy's spell, but this only filled him with a sense of growing dread. It didn't feel like they were charging into battle with an enemy they absolutely had to defeat. Instead, it felt like they would soon be fighting for their lives, and that the moment that Wendy's spell faded, they would lose.

Gajeel stepped forward, elbowing Natsu out of the way and sending him a heated glare, as if having guessed his thoughts. Without a word, he turned to face the black dragon and inhaled deeply. Catching on at once, Wendy began to do the same, and an instant later, so did Natsu.

"Iron Sky Fire Dragon's Roar!" they yelled as one, each releasing a swirling blast from their mouth that combined into an enormous, flaming, shrapnel-filled tornado.

They never discovered what type of damage it might do to the black dragon, however, because with a single flap of its mighty wings, the tornado changed direction, slamming back into its casters with the added force of the dragon's powerful winds. Natsu was vaguely aware of Wendy screaming as they were ripped from the ground and tossed about in the air like helpless dolls. He reached out for her, but a piece of flaming metal caught him in the forehead and plunged him into instant darkness.

* * *

><p>It was the warmth the woke him: a familiar, all-encompassing glow of protection that penetrated the deepest darkness.<p>

Natsu opened his eyes to find the sky above him filled with golden light. "Fairy Law," he whispered, sensing the Master's comforting presence nearby. His own pains were forgotten at once, and Natsu rolled over onto all fours, shaking the cobwebs from his head. He could see Wendy, and beyond her Gajeel, also trying to regain their bearings. They could not help but respond to Fairy Law, because it being cast meant that their troubles were surely over. Nothing could possibly threaten them once their beloved Master had cast that spell.

Nothing except a certain dragon, apparently.

Because the sight that greeted their eyes would stay with them for the rest of their lives: Master Makarov, enlarged to colossal, muscular size by his Titan magic, staring in disbelief at the dragon that bellowed in rage at being challenged. The only difference was the network of golden scars all over its black body, proof that Makarov had just barely penetrated its tough armor with the guild's mightiest magic.

Proof that, barring a major miracle, they were all going to die.

Natsu was still not afraid. Instead, he was furious. Furious that this dragon was going to keep them from returning to the guild, finding Lucy, and making everything right again. Igneel had not raised him to be defeated, and certainly not by a dragon.

But as if he could read Natsu's mind, Makarov called out to him. "Natsu! Get those two back to the guild safely, and you'll all be made S-Class mages!"

"Screw that!" Natsu shouted immediately. "We don't want it that way, old man! You can make us S-Class once all four of us get back!"

"We won't leave without you, Master!" Wendy agreed.

"You cheeky, ungrateful brats!" Makarov howled, but with his giant size, it was fairly easy to spot the enormous tears in his eyes. "You have to live!"

"Then we'll beat this dragon together so we can!" Gajeel added fiercely.

"Get back!" Makarov ordered as the black dragon began to charge toward them. "You'll get caught in the blast!" With a roar, he ran forward and slammed his weight against the dragon's. For a moment they seemed equal, but then the dragon slowly but surely began to gain ground as it raked the old man's chest and back with its claws. It had only taken a few steps when Makarov suddenly shrank to his original size. The dragon immediately fell forward, off balance, and Makarov slammed his hands against the dragon's chest and shouted, "Hyperion's Lance!"

Natsu had never heard of that spell, and had no idea what it would do. Judging by the old man's warning, it wasn't something they wanted to risk being close to when it finally activated. Forcing himself to ignore every instinct that told him to stand and help Makarov fight, Natsu ran to Wendy and scooped her into his arms, barely even slowing down. Gajeel was already on his feet, but either couldn't or wouldn't move, so Natsu grabbed him by the collar and dragged him away from the battle.

Somehow, Gajeel knew before Natsu did, and began to struggle a second later. "Don't let him do it, Salamander! It's a suicide technique! He's throwing all of his magic at that thing, and if it fails, he'll be totally defenseless!"

"It won't matter," Wendy whispered. "None of us is stronger than Master, and he's the only one that's even managed to put a scratch on that dragon. Our best chance is to let him do whatever he feels is necessary, and then to get him away as soon as he's done."

"And then you can heal him, right?" Natsu added.

Wendy bit her lip. "Natsu, those claw marks on him. They-"

"You can heal him, right?" Natsu interrupted angrily.

Her eyes filled with tears. "He was only able to keep fighting with those awful wounds because his magic is so strong. But once it's gone, he'll be beyond my ability to help. That dragon is far stronger than any of us."

"Then the least we can do is give him a proper send-off," Gajeel said. "You two distract the dragon, and I'll grab the old man."

The words were barely out of his mouth when the battlefield erupted in a blinding storm of golden light, and a wave of heat slammed into them, so powerful that even Natsu felt his skin begin to burn. He immediately crouched down, shielding Wendy with his body, even as she pressed her hands to his chest, murmuring spell after spell to increase his magical defenses. Gajeel, however, coated his body with metal scales and ran directly into the blast, intending to keep his word and retrieve their Master.

* * *

><p>Laying at the epicenter of the light storm, Makarov wished he had been a better Master. Part of him had known that at least Natsu would return to the island. He should have never let things progress to this point. He could have stopped them at the docks. But when all three Exceed had been present and accounted for that morning, he had assumed that their Dragon Slayers were still in Magnolia. If not for Carla abruptly receiving a vision about a dragon destroying Tenrou Island, he might have arrived too late to do anything.<p>

His thoughts were interrupted as a gleaming iron fist seized his collar. Makarov could only see a few feet around him in any direction, but he could sense Gajeel's magic as the arm began to withdraw, pulling him along with it. He hadn't really expected them to abandon him, no matter how much he wished otherwise, but he was still a bit surprised that Gajeel was the one who had come back for him.

After a few seconds, Makarov suddenly slammed into Gajeel's side, and then Gajeel was running through the storm, elongating his other arm and sending it flying head of him. "Salamander!" he shouted. "I've got the old man!" After a few more seconds, there was a great jerk on Gajeel's arm, and then they were both flying through the air at high speed, only to slam headfirst into Natsu.

"You fools," Makarov gasped with effort. "I told you to run!"

"Shut up, old man!" Natsu shouted angrily, rubbing his aching forehead furiously. "We're going to beat this dragon, now that you've weakened it!"

Makarov shook his head. "You don't understand. That spell wasn't supposed to weaken the dragon. It was only supposed to stall for time, so you three could escape. You can't defeat this dragon. You can't even hope to escape, now that you've wasted time saving me."

Both Natsu and Gajeel gaped at him, as if they couldn't believe what he was saying. Wendy pushed between them, kneeling beside Makarov and stretching out glowing hands, but he caught them gently. "It's useless, child. Save your strength. I'm going to die."

"NO!" Wendy cried, pushing his hands away and throwing herself across his chest. "You can't die! I can't lose another Master like this!"

"Neither time was your fault, Wendy," he sighed, feeling her hot tears on his skin as he gently stroked her hair. "It's just the way things are sometimes."

"I don't believe that!" Natsu yelled. "I still say we can win! Nothing can survive a blast like that unscathed!"

Moments later, a ground-shaking roar filled the air, dispersing the light storm, and proving Natsu correct. The black dragon was still very much intact, but with one additional battle scar: there was now an enormous, golden Fairy Tail stamp that stretched the entire length of its underbelly.

"See! You did it, old man!" Natsu cheered, but Makarov shook his head.

"The spell failed, Natsu. If it had been successful, the light magic would have pierced the dragon's body and exploded outward, destroying it from within."

"So we aim for the weak spot! No problem!"

"NONE OF YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH!" Makarov roared, spittle flying from his lips. "Can't you see it took all I had just to leave scars on that monster?! You have no hope of surviving a battle with that thing! That's why I told you to run! Do you think I wanted to see my beloved children die before me?!"

"But we love you, Master," Wendy whimpered, wiping away her tears. "How could you ever expect us to leave you to die?"

Her words cut him deeply, but Makarov refused to be moved. "The guild can live on without this old man. But we have already lost two of our precious young lights. To lose three more on such foolishness... no guild could survive that. Can't any of you see that? Can't you understand? Only you can keep the family strong."

"I'm only going to say this once, old man," Natsu whispered, his voice firm. "I lost one father already. I am NEVER doing it again, you hear me?!"

Makarov closed his eyes. There was no convincing them, and he had no power left to force them away. A small part of him was relieved. If he was going to die, and there was no question of that now, he would do it surrounded by his faithful children. It was not such a bad end. It was quite a good one, all things considered. But he had so wanted a better end for all of them.

"Fear not, my brave friends," said a soft, warm voice in his ear. "The strength of your bond has empowered me to aid you."

Makarov winced as bright light blinded him, but he could feel the touch of a tiny, warm hand on his arm. Instantly, he felt younger and stronger than he had in years, and though he knew this effect would be fleeting, he also sensed that it was no magic. It was simply friendship and love in its purest form, more powerful than any spell he had ever learned to cast.

The light faded abruptly, and Makarov gaped at the tiny, barefoot girl who knelt on the other side of him, smiling. "Master Mavis?" he breathed, unable to believe his eyes. "But you're dead..."

"G-G-GHOST!" Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy shrieked, pointing fearfully at Mavis.

She blinked, her eyes wide, and suddenly threw back her head and laughed, clapping her hands delightedly. "Your children amuse me, Third," Mavis giggled, wiping tears from her eyes. "You have surely built a wonderful guild in my absence. I thank you wholeheartedly."

"But HOW?" Makarov insisted. "How can you be here, First?"

"So long as Fairy Tail lives and breathes, I will never be far away," Mavis assured him. "Now, please, tell me. How may I best assist you? My power is limited, but I will not abandon you. If you wish it, I can heal your wounds."

It was a good offer. Makarov never even seriously considered it. "Can you... use your power to save my children?" he asked.

"Master, NO!" Wendy wailed, clinging to him again. "Heal him, Master Mavis, please! I beg you!"

Mavis smiled gently, and said the words Makarov knew she would. "Unfortunately, I cannot do both. And I must honor your Master's wish before all others. It is his right, and it is his wish that you survive. No, that is my wish as well." She paused and tilted her head slightly. "Besides, as I'm sure he has told you, it would do no good. Even in perfect health, none of you possess the magic needed to drive this dragon away."

"And you do?" Natsu asked doubtfully.

Mavis nodded. "I do if you will aid me, Natsu." She extended her hand to him. "Will you help me?"

Natsu was going to refuse. Part of him still wanted to force her to heal Makarov. But it was then that he noticed something that shook him to his core.

The black dragon had not attacked them, or done much of anything at all for several moments. It was certainly not injured, though. In fact, it was just sitting there, looking off into the distance. But it was where the dragon's gaze was directed that bothered Natsu.

It was looking in the direction he and the others had come from. Toward Magnolia. Toward Fairy Tail.

For the first time, Natsu understood completely why the old man had been willing to give his life to protect them. Then and there, Natsu realized he would do the same, if it meant there was a still a Fairy Tail for Lucy to return to one day. What was he going to do, save her only to return her to a smoking hole in the ground? With no further hesitation, he reached out and grasped Mavis's hand firmly. Her hand was warm and soft, as he'd expected, and her touch made his body feel strangely light, as if he could float away at any moment.

Mavis closed her eyes and began an incantation, one that no one present recognized.

_"Land without sun, dream without waking._

_Bright Lady of the east, Pale Master of the west_

_Grant thy unworthy child a final boon._

_Ignite and transcend the darkness, EternaFlame!"_

Wendy and Gajeel gasped as Natsu and Mavis were engulfed in silvery-white flames. Mavis extended her free hand, making a fist and pointing it at the black dragon. She too careful aim, steadying her fist until it appeared to be level with a spot just below the dragon's heart. Then the world turned white again.

* * *

><p>The black dragon had felt pain before. But that had been ages ago, and so it took several moments before the dragon's memory could recognize the sensation around the new, burning hole in its chest.<p>

It wasn't used to being hurt. There were so few things left in existence that could truly hurt it, but this curious white fire was one of them.

Still, the pain was quickly overtaken by fury. The very idea that the dragon could be harmed by such pitiful insects was not only insulting, it should have been impossible. And for a moment, the only thought in its mind was to destroy them completely, and the island they stood on as well.

But as the dragon glared down at the tiny humans, something wafted into its nostrils that made it pause. The scent was rare, but immediately recognizable: not death, but the realm beyond it.

The dragon feared nothing. That was a fact. Even if it had been presented with a creature greater than itself, impossible as that seemed, it would have welcomed the challenge that such a battle would surely bring.

This was different, though. The dragon had little reason to fear death: time had only made its scales harder, and its mind sharper. In some ways, the dragon had already conquered death, for there was next to nothing left on the planet that could even threaten its life. Even so, all living things had reason to fear entities from the realm beyond, because not even death had ended them. Even the dragon's great might was subject to limitations that the realm beyond surpassed. So while it probably could have destroyed the tiny humans then and there, and while the wounds it had suffered were not life-threatening so far, the black dragon made a choice. It reasoned that if the humans had easy access to the curious power that harmed it, they would have used it from the start. It also figured that they had business elsewhere, as they had not been seeking the dragon originally. Most importantly, the dragon decided that it could simply destroy them at a later time, when the one who had managed to delay their destruction, if only by mere moments, would likely have died on his own.

Flapping its great wings, the dragon took to the air and soared into the clouds with a deafening roar. To most humans, it would only sound like an enraged beast's cry, but to one who truly understood dragons, it was both a challenge, and a promise to return.

Only one of the humans present realized what that cry meant, but it didn't bother her in the least. Mavis Vermillion knew that her beloved guild had made an eternal enemy of the black dragon Acnologia that day, and that it would return to battle the guild as many times as it took to destroy them. But she also knew that her guild would rise to the dragon's challenge each and every time. But as she looked down at poor Wendy, who was sobbing into the still chest of Makarov, Mavis knew they would do so under another Master. Though she had no tears to shed for him, Mavis bent down and placed a kiss on the old man's forehead. "Sleep well, Third," she whispered. "Our guild will live on. I promise you that."

"How did you do that?" Natsu demanded, his voice trembling with rage. "How did you scare the dragon off when nothing the old man did worked? How can you be stronger than him?!"

Mavis sighed. "The dragon wasn't afraid, Natsu. It simply chose to continue the fight another time. And it wasn't a question of strength that ended this confrontation, but of knowing the right kind of magic. You all have much to learn if you wish to defeat that dragon, and simply being Dragon Slayers isn't enough."

"Then show us what is," Natsu said firmly.

"I can't just show you," Mavis replied. "But I can teach you what my time in the realm beyond has blessed me with, if you're willing to learn. But that will have to wait." She gently caressed Makarov's cheek. "We must first return to the guild. All of us. Fairy Tail needs a Master to guide it through these trying times, and it falls to me to select one worthy to carry on Third's legacy."

"Yeah?" Gajeel snorted. "He may be dead, but I didn't hear the old man make you Master again, and I'm not taking orders from a ghost."

Mavis looked at him briefly, but offered no protest. "Do the rest of you feel the same way?"

Natsu said nothing.

Wendy glanced between her comrades hesitantly, then wiped her face on her arm. "I'm following Master Mavis," she said simply. "Master trusted her. I think we should, too."

Natsu shook his head. "I can't do that. If she's really the first Master, that means she picked the second. That means she picked Hades! He almost killed the old man! He almost killed _you_, Wendy!"

Wendy grimaced. "That's true. But Hades picked our Master, Natsu. I don't think it's fair to hold the mistakes of one Master against another. Anyway, Master Mavis just saved us all!"

"By letting the old man die!"

"She did what he asked! A good Master protects the guild!"

"Excuse me," Mavis interrupted calmly.

"What?!" Natsu shouted angrily.

Mavis showed him her glowing but very transparent hands. "That attack drained most of my power, so I can no longer interact with solid mass for the time being. I cannot carry Third, and he is too heavy for Wendy. Surely you would not leave him here, even if you disagree with my actions?"

Natsu and Gajeel traded uneasy glances, then carefully bent down to lift Makarov together.

"This doesn't mean you're the boss!" Gajeel snapped. "We're only doing this for him!"

Mavis nodded, smiling warmly. "I would expect nothing less of Fairy Tail."

* * *

><p>Naturally, everyone in the guild was upset over Makarov's death, but the apparent return of Mavis at the same time had a rather curious impact. People wanted to grieve, but somehow it was quite difficult with a tiny, smiling, and arguably pleasant ghost around. It was equally difficult to worry about the fate of the guild under such conditions: if Mavis had somehow come back from the dead, then surely she knew some things they didn't, and clearly she was in no hurry to leave, so her presence had to mean that she had come to help.<p>

Natsu was still reluctant to trust Mavis, however. True, she had saved his life, and even granted the old man's last request, but to him that did not outweigh handing the guild over to a man who would eventually try to destroy it, and just as important, a man who was likely responsible for Lucy being missing. Perhaps it would have been different if Mavis had admitted her fault in the matter, though Natsu doubted that would change his feelings. It wouldn't bring Lucy or the old man back, which was what he really wanted.

If Mavis was aware of any resentment, she did her best not to show it. Instead, she devoted all of her energy into organizing Makarov's funeral. Much to Natsu's surprise, she privately asked him to recount Makarov's final moments for everyone, with a specific mention as to why they had been on the island in the first place. At first, Natsu thought she might be trying to assign blame for Makarov's death, but eventually he saw what everyone else apparently did. Makarov could have sent anyone else to retrieve them, but he had gone himself because their survival was of the greatest importance to the guild. That, of course, and if he had sent anyone else, they likely all would have died before Mavis could intervene.

The funeral served as a celebration of Makarov's life, but not just his. Levy was the last person to speak, having been given special permission by Mavis. Oddly, she barely said a word about Makarov, and instead talked about Lucy. She spoke of Lucy's happiness at becoming one of them, of her love for the guild, and how she must have been feeling to be apart from them. Natsu agreed with everything Levy said, but noticed that she never mentioned anything about actually searching for Lucy, and couldn't help but feel that Levy had omitted this, or been asked to omit this, on purpose.

After the funeral, there was a party. Makarov had loved them, so it seemed only fitting to have one in celebration of him. Mavis spent most of that time seated at the bar, speaking softly with Wendy, Carla, and Mirajane. Natsu kept an eye on Mavis, and noticed he wasn't the only one. Laxus had been watching Mavis the whole time, and seemed to be one of the few that didn't need to be told who Mavis was: he'd recognized her on sight. It finally occurred to Natsu that since Makarov had exiled Laxus from the guild, only another Master could welcome him back. Mavis had not declared that she was taking over, but she was the only Master present, and no one had openly tried to challenge her right to lead yet.

About an hour into the party, Laxus had apparently waited long enough. He strode right up to the bar, easily towering over Mavis, and waited until she took note of the shadow that had fallen over her.

"Is there something you need, Laxus?" she asked, not impolitely, but still not with as much respect as Laxus was probably used to getting.

"You were there when the old man died. Did he say who the next Master was?"

"He didn't," Mavis confirmed. "But I promised that I would save his children, and I take that oath very seriously."

"So you're saying that you're the next Master?"

Mavis shook her head. "No. But it would seem it falls to me to select the next one. That is, unless there is someone in the guild that Third promised the position to in the event of his passing."

"There isn't anyone like that," Laxus said at once. "I'd know if there was."

Mavis stared at him, then glanced at Mirajane, who nodded. "Very well. Then Fairy Tail's Master Exam will begin... oh, right now. You're all eligible."

This announcement received a roomful of blank looks.

Laxus looked as if he were choking on his own tongue. "ALL of them?! You can't do that!"

"I said they are all eligible. Obviously, only one will be Master. I don't see the problem. If you don't like it, then I suppose you had better win so you can make the rules." Mavis frowned suddenly. "Oh, wait. You're absolutely right, Laxus. Everyone isn't eligible."

Laxus started to grin triumphantly, until he heard Mavis's next words.

"Mirajane tells me you were exiled, which means everyone but you is eligible. However, as I can see you are concerned for the guild, I will allow you to participate in the exam under the following condition. You cannot become the Fourth Master, but if you do well in the exam, I will give you my full support when the time comes for a Fifth to be selected. By then, I'm sure you'll be ready."

It was not quite a snub, but Natsu was still surprised that Laxus didn't attack Mavis right there.

Mavis climbed onto the bar and faced the guild. "We'll begin now. The exam will consist of only one challenge. You must correctly answer a single question I will pose to you all. The first to do so will, in time, be Fairy Tail's Fourth Master."

Natsu frowned, certain the question had to be super-difficult. He wasn't sure what anyone's chances of answering it would be.

"Fairy Tail's Master must always be well aware of the of state of the guild, and have their eyes fixed firmly on the proper path. So the question is as follows: if you are selected, what would be your first order as Master?"

Immediately, the room burst into activity. Answers came from all of the place, but most were more or less the same. So many called for the destruction of the dragon that had taken their Master from them. This didn't surprise Natsu. Once upon a time, he would have been the first to say the same. In fact, one day, he even planned to hunt down the dragon himself. But the battle had shown him that he wasn't ready, and even if he had been, there was something far more important he still needed and wanted to do.

So without a word, he turned his back and walked away.

Outside, he nearly ran into Laxus, who was in the middle of a heated conversation with Gajeel. They both looked at Natsu and instantly fell silent.

"Don't stop on my account," Natsu said.

"This test of hers is pure crap, Salamander," Gajeel spat. "I say you and me force that little pixie to show us how she scared off that dragon. We're wasting time here."

The words were barely out of his mouth when a hand wrapped around Gajeel's throat. "I won't let you call it a waste," Laxus growled, lifting Gajeel off of the ground. "I won't let anyone call it a waste to bury the old man!"

"And is this how you would remember him?" Mavis asked as she joined them. "With pointless in-fighting? I can see why you were exiled."

Laxus threw Gajeel to the ground. "You know nothing!" he shouted at Mavis.

"I know you have a long way to go, if you ever expect to be Master of a guild you nearly destroyed," she replied. "So what will you do now, Laxus?"

"Exactly what I said: I'm going to bury the old man."

Mavis smiled. "That is the correct answer, for you. Come to me when you are ready to be the Fifth."

Laxus stared at her, clearly confused, but eventually turned and walked off.

"The black dragon will return," Mavis murmured. "The next Master will need to be ready."

"Screw that," Gajeel said as he got to his feet. "You going to teach us or not?"

"Wendy, too," Natsu added at once, earning a curious look from Gajeel.

Mavis looked at him, smiled, and nodded. "Wendy, too. But you two didn't answer my question."

Natsu shook his head. "We haven't got time to worry about who the next Master is. We need to find Grimoire Heart and make them tell us what they did with Lucy."

"You are going to leave the guild in a time of need, to challenge a powerful dark guild, all for the sake of one girl?" Mavis asked.

"She's one of us," Natsu replied fiercely. "Of course I would! I will!"

"I can see that. But three Dragon Slayers are not going to defeat Grimoire Heart. Not as you are now, at least. We will need to begin training right away."

"You're not going to try and stop us from leaving once we're done training?" Natsu asked in surprise.

"I won't have the authority by then," Mavis answered with a small smile.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you'll be free to make your own choices, Fourth," she told him. "A Master must always look after their children, especially the ones that are lost." With that, Mavis turned and skipped back into the building.

Gajeel gaped at her, then at Natsu. Finally, he shook his head and snarled, "This is because I got my cat last, isn't it?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Continued in Chapter 4: Cana - Remnant<strong>

Cana receives an unwelcome gift from Lucy: the mysterious Arc of Remnant, which is far too similar to Gildarts's Crash for her liking. But the real question is whether it is actually a gift, or something that was inside Cana all along.

* * *

><p><strong>Endnotes:<strong>

_Made-Up Magics:_

_Iron Sky Fire Dragon's Roar_ (at least I don't think it's been done before): The combined roars of Gajeel, Wendy, and Natsu, in that order. Produces a colossal tornado filled with flaming metal shrapnel.

_Hyperion's Lance_: Makarov overlays his hands and places them directly on an enemy, pouring an immense amount of Light Magic (comparable to Fairy Law) directly into their body. Theoretically, the magic should then explode from the opponent's body in numerous beams, destroying them from within.

_EternaFlame_: A silvery-white flame from the realm beyond that consumes darkness.

Anyone who can guess the inspiration for EternaFlame's incantation either travels (or reads) in the same circles, or has probably been following me for way too long.


	4. Cana - Remnant

Notes: I think when the Fairy Tail anime stalled, so did my inspiration. I had serious doubts as to whether I'd ever get this chapter out. Fortunately, as I was catching up on all the anime I've been neglecting, I realized I hadn't seen the most recent episodes, which cover the Grand Magic Games and beyond. Seeing about half of them was enough to get me writing again. But then I saw the 15th opening animation, and it seemed to embody so much of exactly what I thought Natsu would be like in this story. Can't get the music out of my head, either. So I knew I had to get this done.

Previously in Shine On:

Cana was banished from Fairy Tail for abandoning Lucy on Tenrou Island, and tasked with discovering her missing partner's fate. Five years later, Happy came to Cana with a message: Natsu had become the new Master, and was willing to let Cana return to the guild, but only if she first apologized. Cana told Happy that she wouldn't return until she met the original terms of her banishment. This was lie: she already believed Lucy to be dead, and had no intention of going back to the guild. Cana was therefore shocked to wake up one morning in a hotel room and find Lucy standing over her, apparently unchanged from the day they parted, save for the fact that she also no longer has a Fairy Tail stamp...

* * *

><p><strong>Shine On<strong>

**A Fairy Tail Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 4: Cana - Remnant**

* * *

><p>"L-Lucy?" Cana gasped, doing her best not to pull away from the hand on her cheek. "Y-You're alive?"<p>

"Of course I am!" Lucy laughed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"But no one could find you!" Cana cried as she sat up. "Everyone was so worried! Why didn't you let us know you were okay?!"

"Because I wasn't okay, Cana," Lucy replied, her smile fading. "I could have died. I almost certainly would have, if it had been up to Kain."

"I'm so sorry!" Cana blurted out, leaping up and pulling Lucy into a desperate hug. "It's all my fault!"

"But it isn't," Lucy disagreed, gently stroking Cana's hair. "When you left me, you made me realize something. No one passes the S-Class exam as a pair for a reason. Only one person actually gets the promotion. It's not the teamwork that matters, it's the power. You had to leave me behind, because I was weighing you down. I understand that now. If I had been strong enough to support you, it wouldn't have happened that way."

"Lucy, no," Cana whispered, pulling back to stare at her. "That's not it. You weren't weighing me down."

"But I was, Cana," Lucy insisted. "It's okay. You don't have to spare my feelings. I accept this now. I wasn't a good partner for you, and I'm sorry. But everything is different now. I'm finally strong enough to support you, and I wanted to show you that."

"You weren't weak! That's not why I did it!" Cana snapped. "I was being selfish, and-"

"And that's okay," Lucy interrupted. "Being an S-Class mage isn't something you can really share with anyone. Even if you had passed, you would have left me behind eventually. You see, there's a reason why Mirajane retired. It's the same reason that Mystogan and Gildarts kept to themselves. That much power changes a person, and makes them feel alone, even in a guild like Fairy Tail. But there's nothing wrong with that. When you stand alone in the darkness, and the only thing you have to depend on is your own power, you need to be as strong as you possibly can. It's not something we would have ever learned in that guild."

Cana was starting to get a very uneasy feeling about the way Lucy was talking. "It's funny," Cana murmured weakly. "You almost talk as if you are an S-Class mage now, Lucy."

Lucy smiled in a way that was almost pitying. "I've learned something else, Cana. Labels like that are for the weak. People who are truly powerful don't try to classify their strength. They make their own classes instead. If I am S-Class now, it wouldn't matter to me one bit. All I know is that I'm strong. I'd be dead if I wasn't."

"And that's my fault," Cana whispered.

"No, it isn't," Lucy replied, grasping her shoulders. "If I had died, it would have been because I was too weak. But the only reason I was spared was because they saw potential in me. Ultear did, at least."

Cana's eyes widened. "Ultear? You mean... you've been Grimoire Heart's hostage all these years?"

"Years? More like hours," Lucy corrected. "Grimoire Heart didn't last long after they captured me. As strong as they were, there was a dark mage that was stronger still, and he took out their Master without even trying. I think he would have killed them all, but he changed his mind, once he saw I was there. He gave me a choice: die at his hands or join him."

Cana could hardly believe what she was hearing. "That's why your Fairy Tail stamp is gone? You joined a dark guild?"

"It's not a guild at all, Cana. It's a calling, and I answered it." Lucy's gaze slid down to Cana's bare abdomen. "I see that your Fairy Tail stamp is gone as well. Tell me what happened."

Cana's first instinct was to refuse. Even though she had been exiled from Fairy Tail, if she wanted to stay on good terms with them, she was still bound by the guild's rules. It would be the worst sort of betrayal (on top of her other crime) to share information with an enemy.

But then Lucy sat down on the bed, gently taking Cana's hand in her own. "Talk to me, partner," she urged. "If you're worried about betraying Fairy Tail, then don't. We aren't with them any longer, through no fault of our own. Besides, I didn't just come here to visit you. I want us to be partners again. I won't drag you down anymore."

"Lucy, that was never-" Cana pleaded, but Lucy silenced her with a gentle finger pressed to her lips.

"All I want to hear about is you, Cana. Tell me your story."

Maybe because it was Lucy, a friend she had missed for so long, Cana was unable to deny the request. Maybe she just needed someone to know how she had felt. Maybe she just needed someone to listen. Whatever the reason, Cana found herself unable to hold anything back. She felt she owed Lucy the truth and then some.

But the truth was that Lucy didn't take any of the news the way Cana expected her to. Despite hearing of Cana's exile, and Natsu becoming Fairy Tail's Master, Lucy didn't seem at all surprised. Throughout the whole story, she watched Cana with an odd smile on her face (odd only because Cana expected any reaction other than a smile). The only conclusion Cana could draw from this was that Lucy had already known all of this, and her thoughts were preoccupied by something else.

"It sounds like you suffered a lot because of me," Lucy murmured, gently squeezing Cana's hand. "I'm so sorry, Cana. Let me make it up to you."

"No! You don't owe me anything!" Cana insisted. "I was wrong to leave you behind, and I've regretted it this whole time! I promised myself that if I ever found you, I'd do anything to make it up to you!"

"If you feel that strongly about it, then come with me," Lucy said.

"Of course! We'll go back to Fairy Tail, and-"

"No, Cana," Lucy interrupted. "I want you to come with me. Zeref gave me permission to find you."

Cana stared at her in total shock. "But... don't you want to go back to Fairy Tail?"

"Even if I wanted to, there isn't any choice for me now. Zeref knows where I am, and his threat still stands. If I tried to return to Fairy Tail, he'd kill me, and I suspect he'd do the same to you. This is the only way I can protect you. So come with me, please. I don't want you to die."

Cana couldn't help feeling that she wouldn't be under the threat of death if Lucy hadn't found her at all. But she considered the knowledge that Lucy was alive and relatively well a fair exchange. "Okay, you win, Lucy. I'm not crazy about this, but I'll trust you."

Lucy smiled at her. "Thank you so much, Cana. I promise you won't regret it. Let me give you a gift to celebrate the rebirth of our partnership."

"No, you really don't have to-"

"I insist." With that, Lucy extended her right arm. "Crux Channel," she murmured as a silver cross tattoo appeared on the length of her forearm.

"What is that?" Cana asked hesitantly.

"A different way of using Celestial Spirits," Lucy replied with a smile. "Go on, touch it."

Cana slowly placed her hand on Lucy's arm. "Now what?"

Lucy closed her eyes. "Heartfilia Archive, Chapter One: Arc of Remnant. Upload now."

Cana gasped as Lucy's tattoo became incredibly warm beneath her hand. Without thinking, Cana jerked away and accidentally fell off of the bed. She expected to landed painfully on the hardwood floor. Instead, something impossibly soft caught her.

Lucy opened her eyes and smiled. "The transfer was a success. Congratulations, Cana. You're now a user of Lost Magic."

Cana looked around, finally able to see that what had caught her, and was still holding her a few inches above the floor. It seemed to be a constantly swirling cloud of brown dust. "What is this?" she whispered.

"The Arc of Remnant. It's the very first type of Lost Magic that I discovered on my own. I want you to have it."

Cana was speechless as the dust cloud slowly lifted her upright and set her gently on her feet. Then the dust seemed to settle in a noticeable ring around her shoes. The moment she raised her foot, however, the dust shifted to follow her. "Why is it doing that?"

"It's yours now. It goes where you go. You can mold it into whatever shape you want, with some practice. Think of a purse."

"What does that-" Cana began to ask, but suddenly there was a small, brown handbag hanging from her arm, and notably less dust around her feet. Though it was immediately clear that the handbag was made of dust, it felt as soft and smooth as silk.

"I wish I had enough time to teach you how to fly with it, but we can't stay here much longer," Lucy said as she stood up. The air around her body began to shimmer, and suddenly she was wearing an entirely different outfit: a form-fitting, black bodysuit, along with a matching, silver-lined cloak.

"What's the rush?" Cana asked warily.

Lucy sighed. "This town is scheduled to be destroyed, Cana. You're the only reason it hasn't been, yet."

"And who's going to destroy it?"

"Well... I am. I assume you don't want to help."

Cana stared at her in shock. "Y-You? Lucy..."

"You should know that I only allow my closest friends to call me that now, Cana. When I'm working, you should call me Celestia. That's how I'm known these days. Now, we need to leave. Knowing Zeref, he'll have sent someone behind me to destroy the town in case I dragged my feet, and he won't be too broken up about it if I don't make it out in time."

"How can you follow someone-"

"Who holds my life in his hands? Trust me, it's easy when the other choice is death. And if you ever get a choice, don't let someone whose chosen profession is death and destruction pick how you die. It can only end horribly."

Cana had little choice but to follow Lucy out of the hotel. She didn't want to die, and if Lucy was really determined to walk this dark path no matter what Cana did, then she wasn't about to walk it alone. No matter what Lucy said, it was Cana who had left her helpless against Grimoire Heart, and that was the entire reason Lucy was currently where she was and who she was. If there was no going back to Fairy Tail, anyway, Cana at least wanted to be able to say that she hadn't let Lucy go a second time. Natsu would understand that much, she knew for certain, even if he never actually thanked her for it aloud.

* * *

><p>Part of Cana had been hoping that Lucy would not actually destroy the town with her own two hands. After all, Lucy had access to powerful Celestial Spirits, and while Cana liked the idea of them doing the deed even less, since they had more power to do it with, the very thought that Cana had indirectly driven Lucy to this fate left her feeling more than a little sick.<p>

But, Lucy did not use her own hands or a Celestial Spirit to destroy the town. She used both. And it was just like her, not to want her Spirits to have the blood on their hands. Yet even as Cana watched the entire town swallowed up in a Spica Chasm via Virgo's power, somehow it felt better that way. They hadn't actually seen anyone die, at least. And it chilled Cana to no end that Lucy had thought to offer her earplugs beforehand. But at least Lucy was not so desensitized to mass death yet, because even with the earplugs in, the very thought of the dying screams obviously still bothered her.

The worst part came after, however. As Cana turned away from the scene, forcing herself not to be sick all over the ground, a new aspect of the Arc of Remnant revealed itself. She could sense all the dust that had been disturbed the disaster. All that dust, once inactive, now redistributed and given new life, new power... her power. And she hated it. Not because it was "dirty" magic, although that could have easily been a reason, if there was no other. What bothered her most was that it reminded her of Gildarts and his Crash magic, which was just as closely linked to senseless destruction. But at least she could walk down a busy street without wrecking something. That, perhaps, was the one thing that Cana didn't mind about the Arc of Remnant: while it had already proven capable of acting without her command, so far it had done nothing that implied she would have trouble controlling it when needed. In fact, if not for the occasional sight of dust carried to her on the wind, Cana might have forgotten about the Lost Magic entirely. It had actually been some time since Cana had performed any magic: with her Card Magic not responding as it once had, she had begun to rely more on the kindness of perverted men where her money or good looks failed. Maybe it was not what some might consider decent, but at least it was nothing new for her.

"So now what?" Cana asked, having a good idea but hoping she was wrong.

"Now you meet Zeref," Lucy sighed, then frowned. "Actually, first you meet a friend of mine, who has gotten a lot better at hiding herself. Haven't you, Meredy?"

Cana stiffened as a painfully thin girl with pink hair seemed to appear out of thin air. "Maybe you've just gotten worse at sensing magical signatures, Celestia," the girl said in a flat tone that made it difficult for Cana to tell whether she was teasing or being genuinely insulting. "And I don't ever recall agreeing to be your friend."

Lucy smiled and reached over to rub the girl's head playfully, which she tolerated with a surprising amount of patience. "Cana, this is Meredy. She's actually a lot nicer than she seems."

Meredy glared at her. "You should really stop telling that filthy lie." She gave Cana a long, decidedly unfriendly look. "So this is your infamous partner that left you for dead? I thought she'd be more... evil."

"More like Ultear, you mean?" Lucy asked, smirking when Meredy winced. "Sorry, I never had any friends that bad. And when I did, I mostly called them enemies and stopped hanging out with them."

"Can we go now? All this dust is irritating my eyes," Meredy complained, though it was clear this was merely her way of stating she did not like that Lucy had given Cana the Arc of Remnant. Cana was already starting to learn how to uncover the message within the insult when Meredy spoke.

"We should get going," Lucy agreed. "It's never a good idea to hang around too long after-"

"Someone's coming," Cana interrupted.

Lucy stared at her. "How can you tell?"

"I'm... not entirely sure," Cana admitted slowly. "I think it has something to do dust being disturbed in a certain way. Almost like someone had control of the..." She trailed off, her eyes going wide. "We need to leave NOW!"

"I don't think I can allow that until I get some answers," said a voice above them, even as a cyclone suddenly formed around the trio, preventing their escape. "What happened to the town that was here? Were you involved?"

Even after five years, Cana knew that voice, and didn't dare raise her head for fear of being identified. From the way Lucy was doing the same and had suddenly drawn a black hood over her head, she clearly had the same thought.

Meredy, however, had no such concerns. "I really hate fairies," she grumbled, sending a volley of glowing teal swords flying up at the intruder.

"The feeling's mutual, heartless!" came the heated response, and the trio was forced to dodge as Meredy's swords were hurled back down at more than twice the original speed. "Now that I know who you are, we have even more to discuss!"

Cana risked a glance at Lucy, who clearly knew what she was thinking and quickly shook her head. But Cana knew that there were only three ways to end this fight, and two of them involved at least one of them being identified by their attacker. Resigned to her fate, Cana slowly lifted her head, and stared into the shocked, pale face of Wendy Marvell. She was no longer the short, cute little girl that Cana remembered, and her figure had done a fairly good job of attempting to catch up to her Edolas counterpart, but she was still unmistakably Wendy.

"C-Cana?" Wendy whispered. "What are you doing here? With _her_?" She shot a brief glare at Meredy.

"I don't really have time to explain right now, Wendy. I just need you to trust that this is important, and that I've got it handled. Just leave it to me, okay?"

Wendy hesitated, the doubt and suspicion clear in her eyes. "I... can't do that, Cana. I'm sorry. It's not that I don't trust you. It's that I don't trust her, and I need answers, which I'm sure one of you has. I can't allow _any_ of you to leave."

"You say that like you could stop all of us, if we wanted to leave," Meredy added. Her magical aura began to increase, to the point where her body was surrounded by a hot pink glow.

Wendy lost all hesitation then. "Arms x Armor X Vernier!" she cried, followed up by her inhaling deeply.

Cana recognized the pose and was about to advise Meredy to take cover as best she could, but what she saw next stopped her. Meredy's magical aura, powerful as it was, was rapidly being dwarfed by Lucy's, which was solid black and among the most powerful Cana had ever felt. Even Meredy had stopped powering up and appeared to be doing her best not to stare in awe.

"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy shouted, firing a colossal stream of powerful, rushing wind down the cyclone's length.

"Scorpio Channel: Sand Buster!" Lucy roared as she raised her hands, firing an equally large torrent of sand upward.

The two attacks crashed against each other, and though they appeared to be entirely equal in power, Cana noticed at once that the cyclone entrapping them was quickly dying down. At first, she thought this was because Wendy did not have the power to maintain both spells. But then she saw that Wendy was staring intently at Lucy, and suddenly her skin went a shade paler. Something clicked in Cana's mind, and she realized that this was their best chance at escape, and that Lucy had given them another way out.

"Dust Up!" Cana snapped, and instantly, she was surrounded by dust that had gathered from virtually everywhere at once. Following her mental command, the dust flew up and poured into Lucy's sand, mixing with it easily. Reaching out with her magic, Cana seized the joined particles and willed them into a shape. "Dust Form: Sand Sledgehammer!" Cana cried. At once, a huge sledgehammer made of sand and dust emerged and rocketed up at Wendy, who dodged a full-on contact blow, but still took a glancing hit in the side that knocked her out of the sky. Cana quickly broke down the sledgehammer into a dust cloud, which she directed to catch Wendy and gently lower her to the ground.

"A combo attack on your first try, huh," Meredy murmured, doing her best not to look impressed. "I guess that's slightly better than average teamwork."

"That was quick thinking, partner," Lucy agreed, patting Cana's shoulder.

Cana wasn't sure how she felt about the praise, suspecting that the Arc of Remnant may have had more to do with her success than she had. "What do we do with her?" she asked, realizing that she was once again in the awkward position that had resulted in her abandoning Lucy.

"It's enough that she can't follow us," Lucy decided, before Meredy could suggest a more gruesome fate for Wendy.

Meredy pouted. "At least knock her out first! She could talk!"

Lucy and Cana turned to see that Wendy was indeed staring at them with tears pouring from her eyes.

"Lucy," Wendy whispered in shock. "You're... alive? We were so worried..."

Sighing, Lucy bent down and gently stroked Wendy's hair. "I'm sorry for everything, Wendy. I really missed you guys, but I can't come back now. There's something I have to do." She paused and glanced at Cana. "Tell Natsu that Cana and I are okay. That we'll take care of each other, and he doesn't need to keep looking for me. I'm not lost anymore, I've just found a different path that doesn't include Fairy Tail."

Wendy sniffled and laughed weakly. "Don't be silly. Once I tell him you're alive... he'll never stop searching."

Lucy smiled. "Yeah, you're right. I don't know why I even bothered."

Wendy reached up with a shaking hand and grasped Lucy's arm. "Please don't leave us again, Lucy. Please?"

Chuckling, Lucy leaned over and brushed a kiss against Wendy's cheek. "Honestly, Wendy, you're getting as clingy as Juvia."

"That isn't the only thing I learned from her," Wendy replied smugly. "Eterna-Air Lock."

Lucy's eyes widened a large sphere of air surrounded them, which began to glow as the air within it became extremely thin. In a matter of seconds, they would all be unconscious. "Meredy," Lucy gasped, even as she began to collapse onto Wendy, who had already closed her eyes.

"Aries Channel: Wool Gate Pass," Meredy sighed as she fell to the ground next to Cana, a pink tattoo on her hand glowing brightly.

* * *

><p>Cana woke up minutes later with what she first mistook for a fluffy, pink pillow wrapped around her neck. Lucy, Meredy, and Wendy were also wearing them. Of more immediate concern, however, was the fact that they appeared to be in a cave made of sparkling rubies. Much as Cana liked jewelry, this was a bit too much pink and red for her. "How did we escape?" she murmured. "And where are we?"<p>

Cana immediately received an answer, in the form of a very familiar Celestial Spirit who came running into the cave, panting heavily and grasping the wall for support. "I'm so very sorry I wasn't here to greet you all!" Aries gasped, clearly expecting to be scolded. "Please forgive me! I promise to do better next time!"

"You did great, Aries," Meredy disagreed, stepping forward and giving the Spirit a big hug. "You saved us. I've never been so happy that your key was entrusted to me. Thank you."

Aries was rendered speechless by the high praise, but she eagerly returned the hug all the same.

"So... we're in the Celestial Realm," Cana guessed.

"Yes," Lucy confirmed. "Aries responded to Meredy's request to grant us temporary passage."

"So Aries isn't your Spirit anymore?"

"It's complicated. When I first suggested that Meredy and Aries become friends, they were both against it. Meredy because she didn't know how to make friends, and Aries because she was convinced she'd be lousy at it. But it worked out better than I ever imagined, because Aries agreed to let us share custody of her key. For the time being, we're both allowed to summon her. A good thing, too, or we'd be stuck as Wendy's prisoners, instead of the other way around."

"Okay. Then what's with the neck pillows?"

Aries pouted. "They're neck warmers. I made them myself. Y-You don't like them?"

"Uh... they're very comfortable," Cana was quick to add, noticing the dark look Meredy was shooting her.

Lucy chuckled and fingered her own neck warmer. "This is a way of letting other Spirits know that we're guests of Aries. They're pretty strict about visitors, so it's necessary. It also lets us know how long we can stay here." As she spoke, a tiny ball of fluff came away from her neck warmer and fell into her hand. "Yours and Wendy's will fade faster because you're not Celestial Spirit mages, so we can't stay long."

Cana realized Lucy was correct as a considerably larger ball of fluff fell off of her own neck warmer. "What are we going to do about Wendy?"

"It's probably for the best to leave her here while we escape. The Spirits will make sure she gets home safely. It's not as if we could take her with us."

"Maybe we should," Cana disagreed. "She had a point earlier. Natsu will never stop hunting for us, once he finds out you're alive. Maybe if we explained things to Wendy, made her understand why we can't come back..."

"No. It's better if they don't know."

"Are you crazy?" Cana demanded. "Not knowing what happened to you nearly destroyed Fairy Tail! It certainly destroyed their faith in me, and mine in myself! And keep in mind, that was just when Makarov was Master! Right now, Natsu's in charge, and he still thinks he has to save you! You know what he's like! If you don't want him coming after you, give him a reason not to! Tell him about Zeref! It's one thing if you think Fairy Tail can't stop him, but as things stand, we'd be fighting against Zeref and Fairy Tail! Let them know we're not their enemies!"

Lucy shook her head. "But so long as we're under Zeref's control, we're everyone's enemies, Cana. And Fairy Tail isn't going to attack so long as we're with Zeref. We can't keep discussing this here, time passes more quickly in the Celestial Realm, and the last thing we want is for Zeref to think we're trying to escape."

Cana frowned but didn't continue the argument. She didn't want to image how horribly Zeref would kill someone he considered a traitor.

"Meredy, we need to go," Lucy said, gently pulling her away from Aries. She reached up and lightly brushed her knuckles against the Spirit's cheek. "Aries, thank you for everything. We'll come and visit you again as soon as we can."

Cana was a little startled when Aries sniffled, her eyes becoming huge and watery, then burst into tears and fled the cave. "W-What was that?"

Meredy sighed. "Aries hates seeing us leave. She's never once escorted us out, even though she's supposed to. Some other Spirit always has to do it for her."

Sure enough, Virgo soon entered the cave and quickly bowed to them. "Princess, Young Mistress, and guests, I humbly request that you allow me to be your escort today. Please forgive Aries for neglecting her duty, as she is currently indisposed."

Lucy smiled. "Please let her know that we don't blame her for that, Virgo. We understand how she feels."

Virgo nodded, allowing herself a tiny smile. "As always, your compassion for us knows no bounds, Princess. I will certainly deliver the message to Aries. Now, we should hurry. I have just been informed by Most Revered Big Brother Leo that a Celestial Mage who bears Fairy Tail's mark has entered the Celestial Realm, likely in search of either you three or onw of your guests."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Fairy Tail has a Celestial Mage?!"

"I don't think we should risk sticking around to find out who they are, even if that would be valuable information," Cana added.

"You don't have to," Wendy said softly, wincing as she slowly sat up. "I know exactly who it is, and I don't mind telling you. Yukino is my partner, and I guarantee that she's looking for me, not you."

"Well, you'll understand if we don't exactly trust you, after that stunt you pulled."

"One day, you'll both come home," Wendy promised them. "You'll see. Maybe it won't be like it was before, but Fairy Tail will always be your home."

"We've both changed a great deal, Wendy," Lucy whispered. "That guild isn't home for us anymore."

Wendy laughed in her face. "It doesn't matter how much you've changed. That's not why Fairy Tail is still your home." She smiled and carefully laid back down. "It's because that's where your family is."

Cana shook her head. "There's no denying she's been brainwashed by Natsu. Let's get out of here, Lucy. Chances are this Yukino is just as stubborn."

Lucy nodded, but gave Wendy one last frown. "Wendy, if you're so stuck on family, then tell Natsu this." She slipped an arm around Meredy. "This girl was once part of Grimoire Heart, but she is my family now. I won't go anywhere that she isn't welcome." She expected this statement to stump Wendy, but was disappointed.

"If you love her," Wendy said solemnly, "then so will Natsu."

Meredy frowned, not liking where the discussion was headed. "We're leaving _now_."

More than a little flustered by Wendy's words, Lucy quickly turned away, and the trio followed Virgo out of the cave.

Wendy sighed and closed her eyes. It wasn't long before she heard a terrific crash that shook the entire cave, which was soon filled by the rather strong odor of fish. She opened her eyes to find the two giant fish heads of the Celestial Spirit Pisces leering down at her. Anyone else might have been horrified, but Wendy merely smiled and reached up to pat each head affectionately. "Thanks for coming to get me," she whispered.

One of the heads carefully seized Wendy's collar in its teeth and lifted her into the air, placing her gently on top of the other head. Then they withdrew from the cave, moving considerably slower so as not to accidentally dislodge Wendy, who quickly fell asleep.

* * *

><p>"I know what you're going to say," Wendy murmured an hour later.<p>

Yukino gave her a flat stare, but said nothing as she continued to pour healing magic into Wendy's bruised ribs. Having a partner who could also heal was something of a double-edged sword for Wendy: Yukino was capable of using healing magic, but not as well or as often, which Wendy tended to forget until she was the one that needed to be patched up. It in no way prohibited her from being reckless, though, and Wendy would not have been at all surprised if Yukino was purposely remaining bad at healing in a doomed attempt to make Wendy more aware of her own mortality.

"You're going to say that I should have waited for you, that I shouldn't have rushed off on my own. But you wanted to heal the nice old lady who let us stay in her house, and I knew you wouldn't leave until you were sure she was okay. And this couldn't wait! You don't know how important Lucy is to Natsu! To our entire guild!"

"It is a common misconception that because you are allowed to call Master by his given name, and because we have been adopted into his family, that you can get away with anything," Yukino pointed out. "I am beginning to think that you believe this as well. So as to your questionable behavior, I will indeed say nothing. I believe that if you need to be chastised, Master will be the one to do it." She paused and lowered her head. "But you should know that I was very worried, and not just about you, Wendy. Even though Master has accepted me with open arms, I could not bear to face him if I lost you. Please, do not ever put me in such a position again. If what happened to Cana happened to me-"

"It wouldn't," Wendy insisted, grabbing Yukino's shoulders. "Natsu would never turn away from family, and he's not going to send you away. I keep telling you, you're a Dragneel now. We're never going to get rid of you. We aren't Sabretooth, Yukino. We won't betray you. I know it'll take time for you to believe that, but you can trust us."

"Misfortune follows me. Everyone that has ever been important to me, before now, is no longer part of my life. It isn't a matter of whether I trust you or not. It's a matter of how tightly I can hold on when you, too, are ripped away from me."

"That won't happen," Wendy promised. "We're not just partners, we're sisters."

Yukino shook her head sadly. "You wouldn't be the first sister that I lost."

"Well, you aren't losing any others! Mirajane, Lisanna, and I aren't going anywhere. Neither are Natsu and Elfman."

"It would be much easier to believe that if a certain partner of mine had not just run off."

Wendy winced. "That was different, though. Lucy is one of us. Natsu would have done the same thing."

"You are most decidedly not Master," Yukino reminded her. "And in any case, are you certain he would say the same thing concerning Lucy? If she has been with Grimoire Heart this whole time-"

"He won't care! All that matters is that she's alive!"

"Calm yourself, Wendy. I am not done healing you yet."

"This can't wait! Natsu needs to know right now!"

Yukino sighed in frustration. "You know that the success of my Contact Magic depends on extended physical contact with the target. Despite that, Dragon Slayers are exceedingly difficult for me to use it on. If I stop now, I will have to start all over again later, and I may not have as much success then. I am not willing to risk your health any further than you already have, Wendy. My only priority now is getting you back to the guild in one piece. Is that clear?"

Wendy wilted under the sternness of Yukino's glare. "But this is really important, Yukino!" She hesitated, then asked, "What if I used Fairy Dragon Call? You wouldn't have to stop healing me. Maybe it would even help?"

"That is... possible," Yukino admitted. "My chances of success do rise considerably, the more I have seen the magic in question used. But Fairy Dragon Call is not healing magic, nor do I suspect I would ever be able to use it."

"If I can do it, I'm sure you will, one day. I'll even teach you, if you want!"

"You're only offering so you can get your way again."

"Is it working?" Wendy asked hopefully.

"...fine. But if Master is upset that you are not completely healed, you will be the one to inform him of exactly why that is."

Wendy nodded eagerly, not the least bit concerned. Natsu could never stay mad at her for more than thirty seconds. It would be an extremely long thirty seconds, but she'd live.

* * *

><p>Wendy's first attempt at Fairy Dragon Call had produced little more than a rather weak hologram of a cave. Since then, the spell had undergone heavy revision, with numerous tips from Levy, who had begun compiling everything she'd learned about Dragon Slayers. At least half of the information would never appear in any other book, and Wendy had learned more from the volume than she had from her own dragon, if only because Levy tended to record anything of interest in excruciating detail, where a dragon, not exactly known for their patience, would have been more selective in what was preserved. There had even been significant contributions from Cobra: he had nothing better to do than rot in his cell, and since the spell itself was geared toward providing a mindscape that suited the preferences of any Dragon Slayer who entered it, it was really to his own benefit whenever Wendy chose to call on him.<p>

That last part hadn't really mattered to Natsu, but he couldn't deny that his portion of the cave, and more specifically its arid temperature, was rather comfortable. What really mattered to him was that everyone in the mindscape appeared just as they actually were, and so he noticed that Wendy was hurt the first time she took too deep a breath and gasped softly. She did her best to conceal it, but Natsu wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Who hurt you, shrimp?" Gajeel asked, emerging enough from the shadows where he was close enough to swat Wendy if she chose to lie or refused to answer him.

"She's not hurt," Laxus disagreed, earning a grateful smile from Wendy and a glare from Gajeel. "She's standing, isn't she?"

Natsu chose to ignore the injury, but only until he knew why Wendy had called the meeting. "You have something to tell us, Wendy?"

Wendy nodded, beaming at him. "I found her, Natsu! Lucy's alive!"

Natsu stared for a long moment, allowing himself no other reaction.

Wendy frowned. "Aren't you happy? I thought-"

"Of course I am," Natsu said calmly, which made both Gajeel and Laxus stare at him as if he'd grown a second head. "Where did you find her?"

Wendy hesitated. "Yukino and I were returning from our mission when she sensed someone using Celestial Spirit magic. She was healing an old lady, so I went to investigate-"

"Alone," Natsu murmured. "And you got hurt."

Wendy's bottom lip trembled, easily sensing his upset. "Yes..."

Natsu closed his eyes. "Go on."

"Um, when I arrived, a nearby town was just... gone. Wiped off the map. I found Lucy at the scene, with Cana, and Meredy from Grimoire Heart. I didn't realize who they were at first, so I demanded to know if they had anything to do with the town being destroyed. They wouldn't cooperate, so I tried using force. That was when Cana let me see her face, and when I knew it was Lucy-"

"You got distracted, they took advantage," Laxus chimed in.

Wendy nodded reluctantly. "I tried to capture them with Eterna-Air Lock, but they escaped by taking us all to the Celestial Realm. Yukino followed, so they left me there for her to find."

"Did you make it clear to Lucy and Cana that they could come back?" Natsu asked.

"Of course! I begged them to! But Lucy wouldn't listen, she said she couldn't! I even told her to bring Meredy, if that was the only reason, but she still left!"

"It's okay, Wendy," Natsu said softly. "You did good. You found her. That was more than enough."

"It does leave us with an interesting problem, though," Gajeel added. "All my sources tell me that Zeref has the only other Celestial Spirit Mage with Golden Keys. Nobody's heard squat from Grimoire Heart since that day, so I'm guessing what remains of them is also under his control, if that kid is hanging out with Lucy. So Levy was right all this time. Grimoire Heart had Lucy, and then Zeref took over. No wonder she never tried to contact us."

"But she's still the same Lucy!" Wendy insisted. "Her Spirits still love her, and she still cares about us, I know she does! She must be trying to protect us from Zeref! She could have hurt me a lot worse, and she didn't!"

They all looked at Natsu, who was unusually quiet. Finally, he raised his head. "Wendy, you need to be sure. Because if we do this, it won't be Fairy Tail going after Zeref. It'll just be the Dragneels."

"Hey, you serious?" Laxus asked, but Natsu ignored him.

"I'm sure," Wendy replied firmly. "Lucy wants to come home."

Natsu nodded. "Then it's decided."

"You're not really gong to take on Zeref without us, right?" Laxus insisted.

"You two are on important missions right now. It would hurt the guild more if you were called back before they were completed. And besides, if this blows up in our faces, both of us can't be there, Laxus. Not unless you've made plans for a Sixth Master without telling me."

Laxus scowled at him. "You know damn well I haven't, but that's not the point."

"But it is. I have no intention of dying any time soon, and even if I did, I know the guild would be in good hands: yours. Until you can say that about someone else, we don't go on the same missions. And like I said, this is a matter for my family, not Fairy Tail."

"That mean you're taking the shrimp along, too?" Gajeel chuckled.

"Of course!" Wendy snapped. "He said his family, didn't he?! I'm going! Right, Natsu?"

"Normally, I might consider it." Natsu's eyes narrowed. "But I know you're still hurt, and you aren't going anywhere until Yukino is done. And even then, you're both coming straight back here."

"But I'm not-"

"I wasn't asking, Wendy."

"Natsu, please!"

"Don't make it worse. Even if this wasn't a punishment, I still need you here before we can do anything else. Yukino is probably beside herself with worry and guilt as it is." Natsu paused and softened his voice. "You're a team, Wendy. You should consider your partner before you act. That isn't something I can teach you anymore, and Yukino desperately needs you to learn it quickly. Maybe you should take this time to remind yourself of what she was like when she first came to us, how far she's come, and why she'll need your help to progress any further. As her partner, you already know all of this. As her sister, you shouldn't need reminding."

By the time he finished, Wendy's face was red from embarrassment and frustration. It was clear she had a heated response prepared, but the truth in Natsu's words made her think better of it. "Fine, I was wrong!" she finally blurted out. "But I'll never forgive you if you don't bring Lucy home!" She abruptly vanished from the cave.

"Good thing this spell is self-sustaining, otherwise we'd never get to finish when she storms off," Gajeel noted. "She's been doing that a lot lately. Hard to believe she used to be a marshmallow. The hell did you do to her when you adopted her, Salamander?"

"I gave her exactly what she asked for. I made her a Dragneel, and I warned her there would be times when she'd hate me, either as her brother, Master, or both. She said she was fine with it."

"Funny how Yukino seems to handle it better than her," Laxus added. "But I guess she hasn't learned to hate you yet."

"Wendy just wanted it. Yukino was the one who needed to be adopted, and she only agreed to it because it was Mira's idea. I don't even think Yukino can hate anyone else. She tends to blame anything bad that happens on her own misfortune. I was hoping they'd help each other, but I guess that will take more time."

* * *

><p>"So that's the situation as Wendy told me." Natsu leaned back in his chair and stared at the members of his family, who were all seated in a small circle around the table. "Well? Any thoughts?"<p>

No one said anything right away. Possibly they were still reeling from the multiple shocks that Lucy was alive, with Cana, and quite possibly under Zeref's control. Although, if that was the case for Mirajane, she hid it quite well by seeming to remain blissfully unaware as she continued to play with the snowy-haired, rosy-cheeked toddler in her lap.

"When do we leave?" Elfman asked at last.

Natsu grinned at him. "I didn't say you were coming, but I'm glad you volunteered."

Elfman simply nodded. "A man does not abandon his comrades."

"So I guess you want Mira and I to stay here and protect the guild?" Lisanna asked.

Natsu sighed. "I wish I could say that. But here's the part of my plan that's a little crazy."

"Oh, so challenging the most powerful dark mage of all time wasn't the crazy part?"

"It's comparatively less crazy," Natsu insisted.

Lisanna smirked and shook her head. "Okay, hubby. Let's hear it."

He gave her a fond smile. "Every time I see Zeref, I attack him. Each time, he's brushed it off like it was nothing and told me I wasn't ready yet. And to be honest, I still don't feel ready. So, as unpredictable as he's proven to be in the past, I still think I can count on him to do the same thing this time. But if I'm wrong, then I'll be really wrong, and I'll need serious backup."

"You're right, that is a little crazy," Lisanna agreed.

Natsu frowned at her. "I actually hadn't gotten to the crazy part yet."

"What could be more crazy than what you just said?!"

Natsu took a deep breath. "Mira, I need you to come out of reserve for this one."

Elfman and Lisanna both froze in shock.

Mirajane did not look up from the toddler in her lap. "Are you sure you want that, Natsu?" she asked softly.

"Of course I don't want it. I want you to stay right here, so I know that Lilu is always safe. But for this to work, we need a show of extreme force. That's you, me, and Elfman."

"Why not Gajeel and Laxus?"

"You know why not Laxus, and our enemy isn't a dragon this time. Even if it was, I'd still need you with me."

"Why?"

"I would never lose a fight with you standing behind me."

Mirajane sighed softly. "I'll go," she whispered. "But only if Erza stays with Lisanna and Lilu."

"You read my mind." Natsu stood up and walked around the table, placing his hand on Mirajane's shoulder. "Thank you, Mira."

She nodded, wordlessly passing the toddler to him.

"Hey, Lilu," Natsu cooed, lifting the tiny girl high into the air. "You have fun with Auntie Mira?"

"Ya, Da!" Lilu giggled, patting his cheeks. "Miwa fun!"

Natsu brought her down and kissed her on the nose. "Daddy, Auntie Mira, and Uncle Elfman have to go out for a while. You're gonna be a good girl for Mama and Erza, right?"

"Ya! Ma! Za!" Lilu agreed, but she began to whine as Elfman stood up. "Elfum! Kiss!" she demanded, reaching for him.

Elfman chuckled, leaning down to kiss her cheek and touch his forehead to hers. "We'll be back soon, Lilu. That is the promise of a what?"

"MAN!" Lilu yelled eagerly, raising her fists.

Lisanna rolled her eyes. "Of all the things for my baby to be corrupted by, she picks manhood? I swear there's something wrong with this family."

Mirajane gently seized Lilu's fists and kissed them. "I'll tell you any bedtime story you want when we get back, sweetheart."

"Beat Free!" Lilu cried at once.

Mirajane laughed weakly. "For some reason, she only ever wants to hear about me defeating Freed. I don't know why she likes that one so much."

"Well, it's a damn good story," Natsu reasoned. "I wouldn't mind hearing it again myself. Preferably when Freed is in the room so I can point and laugh."

"Oh, you!" Mirajane giggled. She turned back to Lilu and tenderly kissed the girl's nose. "Love you, Lilu."

"Miwa win!" Lilu cheered, hugging her neck.

"That's a promise," Mirajane whispered, stroking Lilu's hair.

Lilu's grip tightened ever so slightly. "Miwa help Da?"

"Of course. That's why I'm going with him, instead of staying with you, honey. You're going to help your Mama, right?"

"Help Ma!" Lilu agreed at once, as she tended to do with nearly anything that Mirajane suggested, with the notable exceptions of taking a bath and eating vegetables. She began to wriggle until Natsu handed her to Lisanna. "I help, Ma!" Lilu stated proudly.

Lisanna smiled softly and carried her daughter to the door. "Thank you, baby. I appreciate it. You can start by eating all your vegetables at dinner."

"No!" Lilu shouted, reaching over Lisanna's shoulder. "Miwa! Save Lilu! Mama mean!"

"Nice try, you little stinker, but Auntie Mira isn't allowed to save you from eating right."

Once Lisanna had gone (and Lilu's wails of protest had faded, somewhat), Natsu turned to his siblings. "We leave as soon as Wendy and Yukino are back." He frowned and lowered his head. "I want to thank you two for doing this."

Elfman clapped him on the right shoulder. "If you're a man, you help your brother when he needs it, even before he can ask."

"Especially when he's the little brother," Mirajane agreed, slipping her arms around Natsu and resting her head on his left shoulder. "You know that we'll always be here for you."

"I know," Natsu murmured, wrapping his arms around them both. Then he closed his eyes tightly and hoped desperately that he wasn't leading his beloved family to their doom.

* * *

><p>Zeref had made no secret of where his base was. Practically everyone knew that he had converted Grimoire Heart's airship into an island fortress. The island itself was not even difficult to reach. That wasn't the point. The point was that Zeref welcomed all challengers, all of which were either promptly turned back or destroyed outright, depending on factors that only he was aware of. Most of the intruders never even caught a glimpse of the infamous dark mage. This was due to the Children of Zeref.<p>

They were not a guild, or even a dark guild, in the expected sense. They accepted no outside missions, no form of payment, and no threats to their Master. They existed for a single purpose: to carry out their Master's wishes, and to mow down anything in their way in the process. Often, those wishes included killing a large amount of people. Naturally, most people thought the entire group was pure evil. This was false. Even Zeref was not purely evil, although some of his greatest creations claimed to be. The Children of Zeref, however, were different. They were not Zeref's servants, contrary to popular belief. They were his hostages, and they carried out his commands solely because they wanted to remain living hostages he found useful, rather than corpses he did not.

The Magic Council, as was their tradition by now, had proven entirely useless. Zeref had actually walked into a meeting, killed half of them, and told the rest they were on borrowed time. Curiously, he had also stated that any council member other than Doranbolt who set foot on his island would be instantly executed. This remained a mystery: the Council had less than nothing to say to Zeref, and Doranbolt himself refused to go anywhere near the island. In truth, there was only one possible reason that Doranbolt had come up with that even partially explained why Zeref had spared him, and it bothered him to no end.

Doranbolt feared that Zeref had something in store for the members of Fairy Tail, apparently even a false one. And while he had no idea what that was, he had long ago put his affairs in order, and not a day slipped by that Doranbolt expected to see the next. When Zeref told you that you were on borrowed time, you listened.

* * *

><p>Cana had been expecting Zeref's base to be positively dripping with evil. It wasn't.<p>

It was, however, extremely clean. Every surface seemed to sparkle or shine, to the point where Cana wondered if Zeref actually had invented some sort of self-cleaning magic... or if he simply brutally destroyed anyone that made a mess. With that in mind, she quickly stowed all of the dust she'd brought with her in purse form, and hoped it all stayed that way.

Every person they passed seemed to be terribly busy, or perhaps just terrified of not looking busy. Even those that shot curious looks at Cana quickly went back to whatever they were doing.

Oddly enough, Zeref was in a library, but he wasn't reading. In truth, Cana first thought he was sleeping, except for the fact that he was standing up. His eyes were closed, and he did not appear to be breathing.

Lucy and Meredy knelt before him, and Cana did the same.

After several moments, Zeref slowly opened his eyes. "I see that your tasks were completed, Celestia and Meredy. Well done." His gaze snapped to Cana, who couldn't help flinching. "And you are Cana, formerly of Fairy Tail. I find that to be... absolutely fascinating." He did not elaborate on why that was, and Cana was hoping that he didn't. Every additional second that he spent looking at her made her more and more certain that she was about to die.

"There was a complication," Meredy reported. "We ran into a Fairy Tail mage, and she recognized Celestia. She may report back to her Master."

"This is not a problem. I expected this to happen. There would be no point if Natsu remained completely ignorant of my schemes. He will respond soon enough."

As if Natsu had heard him, both Lucy and Cana suddenly felt something of an itch on the former locations of their guild stamp. The itch quickly became a burn, however, and each watched in shock as the Fairy Tail stamp reformed on their skin, though both were now a bright, blood red. If either or both thought they were dreaming, their doubts were quickly cleared up by the familiar voice that spoke directly into their heads.

"This is Natsu Dragneel, Fourth Master of Fairy Tail. If you're hearing my voice right now, that means you're either a member of Fairy Tail in good standing, or you're that emo bastard Zeref. It's come to my attention that two of my own are mixed in with Zeref's punks. Lucy and Cana, if you want out, you'll have to say it to my face. Those guild stamps don't come off again unless that happens. Zeref, I'm coming for my people, so get the hell out of the way. And in case it wasn't obvious: I'm all fired up."

The connection ended abruptly, and though only three people in the room had heard it, the impact on each where obvious. Lucy had fallen to her knees, clutching her chest as tears poured down her face. Cana was still staring at the blood red guild stamp on her skin, wondering what kind of magic could possibly restore a guild stamp that had been removed, especially when the caster was nowhere close by. And Zeref... was laughing uncontrollably, to the point where tears were also streaming from his eyes. Not as if he hadn't taken Natsu seriously, because he had. Zeref was laughing because the only way Natsu could send a message this way was if he'd killed a certain dragon, and taken its power for himself. Which meant that Natsu was one giant step closer to being able to kill him, and realizing Zeref's most desperate wish. True, the final two steps were equally giant, as they came in the form of the black dragon Acnologia and the dark guild Tartarus. But this wasn't the sort of process that could be stopped once started, and Natsu surely knew that, to make such a challenge. Likewise, Natsu would never succeed in either challenge without his missing guildmates, whether he knew it or not.

Zeref was not a generous man. Not anymore. Much as he wanted Natsu to end him, he also knew it would be meaningless if he held back his power, or offered Natsu any sort of aid. So returning Lucy and Cana to Fairy Tail was not an option. But, if Natsu were to come for them in person, Zeref would not stop him. Not out of kindness, but because Natsu was the only person alive who had the potential, and Zeref had no intention of waiting another century for another saviour. No, allowing Natsu to take his friends back was entirely self-serving, a means to an end. But that was no reason not to arrange a little test.

"There has been a change in plans," Zeref said calmly, wiping the tears from his face. "Celestia, Meredy, and Cana: you are all free to go. Your contributions are most appreciated. But before you go, I have one final order." A wide, terrible grin slowly spread across his face. "Wake my Slayers."

Cana had no idea what he meant, but from the way the color drained from Lucy's face, it could mean nothing good. Meredy had a more drastic reaction.

"You CAN'T!" she screamed. "If we do that, then... Ultear will die!"

"Yes," Zeref agreed softly, unaffected by her distress. "And when she does, as the only living Era Slayer... this time will end. Should Natsu attempt to defeat her by killing her, he will be the first to prove unworthy of greeting the new world. If she should fail in her duty, there is still Bluenote, my most ingenius creation. Natsu has triumphed over other Dragon Slayers, and even defeated God Slayers, but no member of Fairy Tail stands no chance against a Fairy Slayer."

"Why?" Lucy whispered. "Why is it always Natsu?! Why can't you leave him alone?!"

"You haven't guessed the truth yet, Celestia? I would have thought it was obvious to you of all people. You wish to know the origin of my fixation with Natsu? You could just as easily ask why Natsu is fixated on you. All of our fates are intertwined, as mages cursed to exist in this dying world, mages destined to be involved with the same guild time after time."

"What could Fairy Tail possibly have to do with you?"

"It has been foretold. My destiny lies with that guild."

* * *

><p>Ultear's existence had become little more than a series of never-ending nightmares. She could no longer separate reality from the terrors that haunted her dying mind in every moment. At least, she thought she was dying, or desperately hoped that she was.<p>

She had once thought she understood pain: how best to inflict it, how to revel in watching others suffer through it, how to cast it aside in order to push her body and magic to ever greater heights.

Then Zeref had allowed her to feel the amount of suffering she had caused in just a single town, and she had never been the same since. It would have been kinder to let her die, or to simply kill her, as he had Master Hades. But, she understood now why he hadn't: she was still useful to Zeref, could serve a final purpose for him. Really, it was the highest of compliments, that the most powerful mage in history considered her worth salvaging. And she would never stop cursing the foolish need to prove she was worth something, which had motivated her to become something that would capture Zeref's interest.

Meredy was the only one who visited her anymore. At least, she was the only one that Ultear imagined still might, and even that could have been a delusion. Ultear would not have blamed Meredy, whatever she chose now. It wasn't as if the visits accomplished anything: Ultear could not actually move at all, and the magical coffin that housed her body also fed her a steady stream of dark magic, and little else. She imagined there had to be some nutrients mixed in, but certainly not enough to keep her body from gradually wasting away as it had.

Ultear did not dare to beg for death. She had accepted this punishment to spare Meredy's life, and she had no idea what would become of the girl if that changed. Her only real hope was to live long enough to see Meredy safe and happy, but that would never be, so long as Zeref walked the earth. So when she learned what Zeref expected of her, her wish became the same as his.

She wanted Natsu to kill her.

* * *

><p>Erza Scarlet had only two known weaknesses. One was cake. Which was to say that interrupting her while she was eating a piece was only for those who wished to have an extremely bad day. To date, there was only one person who could get away with it safely, and only then because she was Erza's other weakness.<p>

"Za!" Lilu squealed excitedly as soon as she spotted her favorite playmate across the crowded guild lobby. "PIGGY!"

No matter how many times this happened, it was always accompanied by many nervous looks, and a loud screeching of chairs as people backed away in a hurry, certain there was about to be a beating of epic proportions. For not only had Erza been interrupted during her cake time, she had apparently also been called a pig. This only made it easier for Lilu to run across the near-deserted room to Erza, who never reacted until Lilu had hauled herself up onto Erza's back.

"I have never met another child that would ignore cake in favor of a piggyback ride," Erza chuckled softly.

"Piggy!" Lilu insisted, tugging lightly on Erza's hair.

Erza sighed and stood up to comply... but she took the rest of her cake with her.

Lilu would only accept piggyback rides from Erza, a blow that had deeply wounded Elfman. The popular theory was that Lilu liked the shine of Erza's armor, or perhaps her red hair. Whatever the reason, Lilu would not release her grip on Erza until she had been satisfied by a few minutes of play. Thankfully, Erza did not actually have to do anything other than walk to entertain Lilu in this way, and in all honesty she had swords that were far heavier. None that rewarded her efforts with overly-wet kisses or horrendous colorings, though. Lilu had finally progressed to the point where most of her Erza representations were easily recognizable on paper, either by silver masses topped with red, or many pointy bits.

Five minutes later, Lilu was fast asleep, but her deathgrip on Erza's armor hadn't weakened at all. Erza made her way over to the bar, where Lisanna and Yukino were discussing something in soft tones. Noticing Erza's problem, Lisanna motioned her closer and gently tickled Lilu's underarms. The girl instantly released Erza and collapsed into Lisanna's lap, all without waking up.

"I've never seen her asleep before," Yukino admitted.

"That's because it's so tough to exhaust her to the point where she'll go to sleep without a fight," Lisanna explained. "MIra's been playing with her for hours. She's pretty much the only one who never gets tired of Lilu."

Yukino bit her lip. "Is that... because of her problem?"

"Most likely," Lisanna admitted.

It was common knowledge in the guild that Mirajane was not emotionally stable. To be clear, she could be trusted with children, and was absolutely the nicest person one could ever hope to meet. And that was actually the problem: so much of her magic was centered around darkness and demons, but because she rarely ever allowed herself to access the negative emotions that went along with them, Mirajane had gradually developed a second personality that kept that power locked away, unless it was needed. But once that power was called upon, it was extremely difficult to lock away again, so Natsu only involved Mirajane when not having her along might have resulted in a guild member's death. That was a circumstance that Mirajane absolutely refused to accept, so she had been confident that Lucy was still alive all this time. No one wanted to imagine what Mirajane would be like if someone close to her did die, but since she would do everything humanly possible to keep that from happening, there was no safer place for Lilu than in Mirajane's arms. There were even times when Lisanna feared that Mirajane loved Lilu more than anyone else, and more than Lisanna herself did. Far from being jealous, the possibility frightened Lisanna, because it made her feel like a bad mother, and worst of all, that Lilu might love Mirajane more than she did her own mother.

Some of that was simply unavoidable: Lisanna had to be strict, because Natsu was more likely to encourage Lilu's bad behavior than restrict it. Mirajane somehow found ways to convince Lilu that being nice and polite were extrememly good ideas. Lilu certainly believed that, but she was also still a baby, and more importantly, Natsu's daughter, so plenty of natural rudeness was both expected and even proudly displayed at times. But Lisanna didn't have Mirajane's legendary patience, or Natsu's love of destroying things. All she had was a baby girl that she was trying to prevent from becoming a heathen, and praying that Lilu wouldn't resent her too much in the process. So far, Lilu had shown no confusion at all about who her parents were: Natsu had always been "Da", Lisanna always "Ma", and Mirajane always "Miwa". It should have comforted Lisanna, but already she had seen that Lilu preferred playing with Mirajane and Erza to anyone else. She had never refused to play with Lisanna, but she had never asked for her specifically, either. And Lilu spent the majority of her time with Mirajane for a number of reasons, but mainly because despite years of inactivity, Mirajane was still the most powerful mage in Fairy Tail. Some liked to think that Erza was a close second, but Lisanna had noticed a trend among the guild's true powerhouses: they all considered some of their magic too powerful, and took obvious steps to restrain it. Yet Erza continued to train daily as if she had something to prove, and showed no signs of having reached that threshold yet.

Yukino's presence reminded Lisanna of something she'd been wondering about. "Yukino, where's Wendy?"

"Still resting and pouting in our room," Yukino replied. "She's very upset that Master won't take her along. Is it true that he's only taking two people with him?"

"Trust me, he doesn't need anyone else," Lisanna assured her as Natsu emerged from his office, followed by Mirajane and Elfman. They made their way over to the bar, where Natsu startled Yukino by giving her a big hug.

"Thanks for looking after Wendy," he said in her ear.

"O-Of course, Master," Yukino squeaked, still somewhat new to physical affection.

Natsu released her and turned to Lisanna. "How's our baby girl?"

"Totally worn out, thank goodness," LIsanna told him, holding up the proof: Lilu, still asleep, and starting to drool a little.

Natsu unwound his signature scarf from his neck and wrapped it carefully around Lilu, until only her head was exposed. "I'll have a special present for you when we get back," he promised, gently rubbing her head.

"Make sure you keep both of those promises, hubby," Lisanna warned him. "I will be extremely upset if you don't."

"Wouldn't want that," Natsu replied, leaning in to kiss her. "If Lucy puts up a fight about coming back, should I tell her our surprise?"

"No. Drag her back kicking and screaming first. I don't want her to know until she can see it in person. There's no way she'll run then."

Natsu nodded. "Okay, sibs. We're gone," he said, moving past Elfman and Mirajane. They started to follow, but Lisanna caught Mirajane's wrist.

"Mira, I know I don't need to say this to you, but I will, anyway." Her expression darkened. "If they hurt our family, promise me they'll be nothing but ashes in the wind."

"I can't promise that, Lisanna," Mirajane murmured with a sweet smile. "Obliteration tends not to leave ashes."

Erza, at least, recognized that smile for what it was. It was the main reason why Natsu, since marrying Lisanna, had never lost a fight in Mirajane's presence. Not because he was afraid of disappointing her. Far from it. It was because Natsu knew that if Mirajane thought, even for an instant, that she had lost a member of her family again, no force in their world could even hope to survive her rage, much less stop it, until her bloodlust and thirst for revenge was satisfied.

* * *

><p>Next Chapter: Natsu - Dragneel Law<p>

Natsu's journey to becoming Master of Fairy Tail is marked with challenging tasks: learning powerful magic, defeating a certain (non-black) dragon, and getting Mirajane's permission to marry Lisanna. And not the smiling, friendly Mirajane, but the one that has major issues letting go, isn't impressed by Happy being born to unwed parents, and makes Elfman want to curl up into a ball and wish he was half as scary. Yet the answer isn't in defeating Mirajane (and thank goodness for that!), but in showing her that the family is in good hands.

* * *

><p>Endnotes:<p>

To be clear, I describe Meredy as painfully thin largely to differentiate her from the current canon Meredy. I don't imagine growing up under the constant threat of death by Zeref is very healthy for a girl who already has major issues. Which is not to say that Lucy hasn't been helping, only that results have been mixed.

I'm sure you're wondering why Yukino is in Fairy Tail (though you really shouldn't, they showed far more concern for her than anyone else, so I'm amazed she still hasn't joined in the canon-verse). For the sake of this story, let us assume three things. That Yukino joined Sabretooth earlier, that the loss in combat for which she was expelled happened earlier, and that she would never return to that guild. I mean, most people in Fairy Tail have seen Lucy naked repeatedly, but at least the circumstances have almost always been funny. There's nothing funny about the way a single loss was dealt with in Sabretooth, and I would like to think Yukino has sense and pride enough never to go back. Even if you forgive, don't forget. And what I remember is that none of Yukino's supposed friends said a word against her humiliating dismissal, _or_ bothered to look for her afterwards. And this was an environment where lone mages (and especially Celestial Spirit mages) were getting attacked and kidnapped left and right, so I say forget those jerks, _especially_ Sting and Rogue, whose enhanced senses could have found her in record time. They don't even have the excuse of being totally heartless, since both were more attached to their cats than they were Yukino. I'm sure Natsu loves Happy, but he would still give a crap if even a no-name member got treated as badly as Yukino did.

Yukino having Contact Magic is of course my idea. As for why, I figure it's something she would only discover in a positive environment, where physical affection was common. _Not_ Sabretooth, in other words. See how great her not being there works out?

For an organization that claims to maintain order, I find the Magic Council to either be entirely useless, or useful only in accidentally advancing whatever evil plot is in motion. Which pretty much makes them an evil force when they are doing something significant, which would most likely draw Zeref's notice eventually. And from what I've been able to guess, the only brand of evil he tolerates is his own.

I was orginally going to include Natsu being introduced to my take on Lumen Histoire, but because of the most recent manga revelation involving Natsu, I think I will wait, or just not do it at all. Though I think we finally have the answer as to why Freed's runes considered Natsu to apparently be over 80 years old (the same applies to Naruto, all you crossover authors). And since that applied to Gajeel as well, I wonder... although in his case I could definitely understand the spell mistaking him for a stone statue, he probably has way too many minerals in his body. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he and Makarov were really the intended targets of the spell. I alsp think this may explain why Natsu was the only Dragon Slayer that didn't prove entirely useless against an actual dragon. I have to assume the ancient Dragon Slayers worked in groups larger than five, and that Acnologia had comrades who didn't bathe in dragon blood, because at this point everything in canon suggests that no single Dragon Slayer could slay any single dragon, unless the dragon was sick and wanted to die. And even then, the Dragon Slayer would _have_ to bathe in their blood to ever be able to pull it off against a second dragon.

* * *

><p>Made-Up Magics:<p>

_Lucy/Celestia:_

Spirit Fortification: The caster manipulates the power of a Celestial Spirit through their own body, instead of summoning the Spirit directly. While this temporarily grants the caster great power, it also safeguards the Spirit, since the caster absorbs any resulting fatigue or damage in their place. Spirits are accessed through channels, which take the form of tattoos on the caster's body.

Crux Channel: Heartfilia Archive: A collection of books on magic that Lucy has entrusted to Crux for safekeeping.

Virgo Channel: Spica Chasm: Creates an enormous chasm capable of swallowing a large area.

* * *

><p><em>Cana:<em>

Arc of Remnant: A Lost Magic centered around the manipulation of dust. It is essentially always active, constantly collecting any nearby dust for the caster's use.

Dust Up: Summons a dust cloud, composed both of dust already collected, and any nearby.

Dust Form: Shapes collected dust into whatever the caster imagines.

Sand Sledgehammer: A combination attack consisting of Cana using Dust Form on Scorpio's Sand Buster.

Breakdown: Crumbles any object composed of dust back into cloud form.

* * *

><p><em>Wendy:<em>

Eterna-Air Lock: Creates a wind sphere and converts the air within to that of the world beyond. Breathing it in quickly renders most people unconcious.

Fairy Dragon Call: Originally a variant of Milky Way intended to make contact with living dragons, Wendy personalized it for the exclusive use of Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayers. It functions as a temporary mindscape where Dragon Slayers can communicate telepathically.

* * *

><p><em>Meredy:<em>

Aries Channel: Wool Gate Pass: Aries shares access to her gate, permitting temporary passage through the Celestial Realm. The time limit is twenty-three hours for Celestial Spirit mages, and two hours for anyone else. The countdown is marked by pink neck warmers, which gradually fall off as time runs out. When time runs out, the person(s) is escorted/ejected by the nearest Spirit (other than Aries, who hates to see her friends leave). The nature of exit varies, depending on the Spirit and the person in question.

* * *

><p><em>Yukino:<em>

Contact Magic: Allows the user to analyze, and in some cases use, the magic of a person they remain in extended physical contact with. Success is dependent largely on the difficulty or rarity of the magic, the skill and magical reserves of the user, the degree of familiarity with the target and their magic, and how suitable the magic in question is for the user.

* * *

><p><em>Natsu: (more on these next chapter)<br>_

Blood Rune Art: Lost Bloom: Restores damaged or removed guild stamps.

Blood Rune Art: Fairy Red: Using the guild stamp as a focus, Natsu is able to transmit telepathic messages to any number of individuals with Fairy Tail's mark.


	5. Natsu - Dragneel Law

**Notes**: This chapter will cover how Natsu became the person (or Master) you saw last chapter. I should point out that it also includes my take on what Lumen Histoire is, or what I think it _should_ have been. Incidentally, I had already written that portion when the big reveal came out, and while I could have changed it, I decided not to.

**Warning**: There is character death in this chapter. Oddly enough, the same person died first in the manga, under "special" circumstances.

* * *

><p><strong>Previously in Shine On<strong>:

Cana was found by Lucy, who gave her the Arc of Remnant and recruited her into the Children of Zeref. They, in turn, were found by Wendy, who attempted to capture them and bring them back to Fairy Tail. Meredy prevented this by providing an escape to the Celestial Realm through Aries's Wool Gate. Wendy informed Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayers that Lucy was still alive, so Natsu decided to take her and Cana back from Zeref, by force if needed. However, he took only Elfman and Mirajane with him, convinced that this was a matter not for Fairy Tail, but for the Dragneel family.

* * *

><p><strong>Shine On<strong>

**A Fairy Tail Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 5: Natsu - Dragneel Law**

* * *

><p>"It is done. Our lessons here are at an end," Mavis Vermillion said, smiling at the three exhausted Dragon Slayers before her. "You have each managed to learn and master using your own element in combination with Eterna, the essence of the world beyond. Well done, children. I am certain that Third is smiling down upon you even now.".<p>

Natsu still wasn't used to anyone but Makarov referring to them as kids, but he had to admit that Mavis had probably forgotten more magic than he'd ever heard of. She seemed to have some knowledge of every single type of magic that existed in Fairy Tail at the moment, and still more that didn't. It had gotten to the point where whether or not she was trustworthy, she was simply too valuable a resource to ignore. And the thing of it was, she _was_ trustworthy. The main thing Mavis had done to win their trust was the one thing that Natsu would have eventually demanded of her: she apologized for selecting the Second Master, complete with waterworks that made every feel guilty for ever holding it against her. However, she refused to apologize for upholding Makarov's last wish of saving Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy, rather than healing Makarov himself. Mavis insisted that it was her duty to grant his dying wish, and beyond that, restoring him would have drained her power to the point where she could not have prevented Acnologia from destroying them all, anyway. Natsu wasn't sure he believed that, but he did accept that it was the old man's wish either way.

In any case, Mavis had kept her word. For the past three months, she had trained Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy on Tenrou Island, in the very same type of magic that had managed to drive away Acnologia. Still, she warned them that the same spell was not likely to work on such an overwhelmingly powerful foe a second time: the black dragon would either learn from its mistake, or naturally develop an immunity to whatever it deemed a weakness.

Just as the three Dragon Slayers turned to leave, Mavis spoke once more. "Gajeel and Wendy, you may return to the guild, if you like. Natsu, I have just one more spell to teach you."

"Why does he get the special treatment?" Gajeel demanded.

Mavis shrugged. "You may stay and watch, if you wish. But neither of you will be able to learn the spell at this time."

"Oh yeah? You looking down on us, ghost girl?! Get solid again and I'll beat you into the ground right now!"

Mavis, Natsu, and Wendy all stared at Gajeel with blank expressions. Even if Mavis could assume a solid form at will, the odds of her doing so just to take a beating she didn't deserve were nonexistent.

"...Fairy Law is a tool meant only for Masters of Fairy Tail," Mavis explained. "Gajeel, I know that you have no desire to hold that title, despite your boasting. Even if I taught you Fairy Law, it would never work for you. It would be like teaching water magic to Natsu."

"A-And me, Master Mavis?" Wendy asked hesitantly.

Mavis smiled warmly at her. "Dear Wendy, your future is hidden from me. I do not know whether you can become a Master. Perhaps once you have learned and experienced much, much more, Fairy Law will be intended for you. But that, I suspect, will be up to another Master to decide. And as I said, you are free to stay and watch. Even if Natsu were to make a mistake, and I doubt that he will, no harm can come to you."

"You sure about that?" Gajeel grumbled. "If anyone could mess this up and burn the whole island down, it's Salamander."

Mavis shook her head. "I can say with certainty that no one has ever made a mistake while invoking Fairy Law. It encompasses the warmth, love, and friendship that the caster has for each member of Fairy Tail. There can be no mistake in that."

"What about Laxus?" Gajeel asked.

"What about him? His intent was to defeat his enemies. If there had actually been any around at the time, I'm sure they would have been defeated. The mistake was not in Fairy Law, but in Laxus mistaking his family for enemies."

"Sounds about right," Natsu agreed. "So, how do we start?"

"Simply," Mavis replied. "I want you to focus first only on what you feel for Wendy in your heart, and try to concentrate that into magic form."

Natsu blinked and glanced at Wendy, who was blushing. "Uh, but will it work if she's not in danger? I mean, I can see her right there, all safe and everything."

"That is not a requirement," Mavis assured him.

Natsu closed his eyes and thought only of Wendy: her cuteness, her innocence, her determination, her generosity, and Natsu's own desire to protect and preserve all of the above. Before he could even think of trying to transfer that into magic, he suddenly became aware of Gajeel shouting at him.

"CUT IT OUT, SALAMANDER!" Gajeel was yelling as Natsu opened his eyes and discovered the problem, if it could even be called that.

As far as the eye could see, the island was bathed in blue flames. Natsu saw at once that they were harmless, as nothing they touched was actually burning, including he and Wendy. Mavis didn't really count, as Natsu knew Fairy Law wouldn't have hurt her while she was alive, and so certainly not when she was dead. In all likelihood, Gajeel was unharmed as well, but he was so paranoid about being burned around Natsu that he refused to stay still for long.

"This," Mavis said softly, "is why I chose you, Natsu. If you can generate this much desire to protect a single comrade who is in no danger at all, just imagine what you could do when the whole guild is truly at risk."

"But this isn't Fairy Law!" Gajeel insisted.

"Not in a form that you recognize," Mavis admitted. "But I can tell that that it would have the same impact. And perhaps it is best to personalize the spell. I imagine that would only make it more powerful for each new Master that uses it."

After several more tries, it was determined that Natsu either could not or would not produce the familiar golden light of the original spell. Likewise, no matter who it was he desired to protect, the spell always resulted in varying colors of harmless fire. It was very notable, however, that none of the flames seemed quite as impressive as that first showing. Despite Natsu's doubts, Mavis deemed the exercise a total success, and expected Natsu to have mastered Fairy Law within a second day's time.

The walk back to base camp, where Happy, Pantherlily, and Carla were waiting, was a quiet one. Gajeel was predictably moody, as was almost always the case. Natsu was deep in thought, and Wendy kept throwing nervous glances at him, and blushing when she got caught looking. Mavis walked in front of them, barefoot and yet somehow managing to repel any sort of dirt that should have stained her feet. Natsu still wasn't why she could touch some matter, while the rest had no impact on her at all. He understood that she was a ghost, however, she seemed to be a rather selective one. She had managed to physically strike Gajeel once when he got carried away during training, yet also sat by and stared longingly whenever the group stopped to have a meal. Natsu found her habit of hovering over his shoulder and drooling while he ate to be extremely annoying, but Wendy thought it was cute, and apparently didn't mind Mavis doing it to her.

They found the three Exceeds deep in an argument over who would complete the Eterna training first, with each rooting for their respective Dragon Slayer. Except for Happy, who thought Natsu might let Wendy finish first if she asked him nicely. This only made Wendy blush even harder.

* * *

><p>The following day, Natsu woke up early to a very unusual feeling, It turned out to be Mavis, inches from his face, staring down at him expectantly. Natsu was doubly annoyed: he could tell from the dimness that it was extremely early, and if her claims about his progress with Fairy Law were true, then there was no need to get such an early start. Mavis offered no explanation, and simply motioned for him to follow her away from the camp. Natsu was reluctant, until she promised it would only take a few minutes, and that he would probably be back before anyone else noticed. Natsu doubted this: between Gajeel's natural paranoia (he had pissed off a lot of people and not all of them were dead yet) and his equally heightened senses, he would likely know that Natsu was gone within seconds of their departure. Although, there was a very good chance that he wouldn't bother to come looking, considering how early it was, and that it was Natsu. Levi would give Gajeel grief about losing Wendy, but not Natsu, who had a tendency to charge off on his own at the first sign of a good fight, especially if he was trying to outrun Gajeel to it.<p>

"I lied yesterday," Mavis admitted once they were out of earshot.

"So I'm not almost done mastering Fairy Law?" Natsu sighed.

Mavis grinned. "Oh, goodness, no. You were done with that yesterday."

"...WHAT?!" Natsu shouted.

She giggled. "I'll tell you a little secret, Fourth: _every_ Master of Fairy Tail has mastered Fairy Law on their first try. It comes easy to us, and it should. You wouldn't be fit to be Master without a strong desire to protect your family. You've always had that, Natsu."

Natsu was not pleased. "And you couldn't have told me this AFTER THE SUN CAME UP?!"

Her smile faded. "There is one thing I didn't think you'd want the others to hear. It's more of a suggestion than a requirement, but I thought it was important. I finally have an idea where I went wrong with selecting Second, and also why Third was such an effective one."

Natsu had to admit that he was interested in that. "Go on."

"Children." Mavis beamed at him, as if her meaning should have been obvious.

"Huh?" Natsu asked, clearly lost.

She sighed. "Third was a family man. He treasured the guild as his family, and he was able to appreciate it as such _because_ he had his own family."

"I get that, but what does that have to do with me?" Natsu asked, scratching his head.

"I strongly suggest that if you truly think Third was a good Master, you should follow his example and start your own family soon. If nothing else, it will definitely keep you from becoming like Second."

Natsu gaped at her. "You... but... that's..."

"It is merely a suggestion," Mavis reminded him. "I still stand by my selection of you, even if you choose to ignore this bit of advice. But I really don't think you should, Natsu. And it's the last bit of wisdom I'll be able to give you for a while."

As Natsu watched, Mavis suddenly became transparent for a few seconds. "You're... leaving?" he asked.

"This was never permanent. I _am_ dead. I was able to stay this long only because the guild needed a Master to help it along, until you were ready. And you are, Natsu, I know you are, even if you don't know it yet. When we return to the guild, I will make the official announcement, and then it'll be up to you, Fourth."

Natsu had no idea how to respond to that. He had expected to have to learn some complicated magic, or maybe complete some insanely difficult combat trial. But suddenly, he was less worried about being a good Master and far more concerned about this family business. It was nothing he hadn't thought of before, but he had always assumed that it was a long way off, and that he'd have plenty of time to get himself ready.

Mavis seemed to realize how tough a time he was having with her suggestion (it was all the sweating that tipped her off). "You probably don't want to mention this to too many people. In fact, maybe you shouldn't mention it at all. I think that would be best."

"Yeah, sure," Natsu murmured weakly.

* * *

><p>Natsu and Mavis returned to camp to find Gajeel wide awake, and Wendy trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. Gajeel was unconcerned but suspicious, while Wendy was too tired to feel much of anything. Natsu felt bad, as he knew they were only awake because of him. Without giving it too much thought, he sat down beside Wendy and put his arm around her, pulling her close so she could rest her head on his shoulder. He was sure she would normally blush about that, but again, she was so tired that she barely even noticed. Carla looked as if she wanted to give Natsu a piece of her mind for waking Wendy up, but apparently realized that would also keep Wendy awake, and so settled for giving him a look of deep loathing. Frankly, it wasn't all that different from her usual expression. It was good that she was Wendy's partner, because Natsu would have named her Frowny or something far less flattering.<p>

Wendy slept for almost an hour and a half before she awoke with a soft yawn. When she became aware of her current position, she blushed and jerked her head away from Natsu's shoulder, but he made an effort to keep his arm around her.

"It's okay, Wendy. I don't mind." He hesitated, then added, "It helps me relax, too."

Wendy stared at him for a moment, then slowly returned her head to his shoulder, although it was clear that she wasn't about to fall asleep again anytime soon.

"Do you... think I'd make an okay father, Wendy?" Natsu asked. "You know, one day?"

"I think you'd be a great father, Natsu," Wendy replied at once, complete confidence in her tone.

He looked at her. "Really? Why?"

"Because you-" she began, then stopped, blushing again. "I don't want to say..."

"Please, Wendy. It's really important. I need to know."

Wendy stared at the ground. "From the moment I met you, I knew that you'd always take care of me. I can't explain it any better than that, but I think a lot of people feel that way about you. It's part of who you are."

"Oh. Thanks." Natsu had never really thought of it that way, and was glad that Wendy had been honest with him. Despite what Mavis had told him, it made him want to be honest with Wendy in return. "Mavis thinks I should start a family soon, but I don't know if I'm ready."

Wendy's head jerked up again, and she stared at him in shock. "She does?! But why?!"

"She says it'll be good for me, make me more like the old man. I don't mind that part so much, but what do I know about making a family?"

Wendy blushed. "W-Well, the way it was explained to me, when a man and a woman-"

"NO! I know that part," Natsu interrupted, wanting to save them both from serious mental trauma, and Wendy looked very relieved at the news. "I mean, Igneel is the only family I've ever known, and he left when I was a kid. He told me about girls, but he never said anything about starting a family with one!"

"Do you have a girl in mind already?" Wendy asked. "I-Is it Lisanna?"

Natsu wasn't sure how to answer her. What there was of a list of acceptable partners in his head, only had two names on it. One was indeed Lisanna, but the other was... complicated. So was Lisanna, for that matter, but at least he knew exactly where she was and could see her whenever he wanted.

* * *

><p>The guild exploded into cheers when Mavis and the three Dragon Slayers walked into view. Many had thought that going back to Tenrou Island was a supremely bad idea, and that staying there for three months was even worse. There had been no dragon or dark guild sightings in that time, though, although if Mavis had known for certain that would be the case, she hadn't told anyone else.<p>

Natsu had barely taken three steps into the guild before he had to duck to avoid a frozen mug flying straight at his head. He couldn't help the eager grin on his face as he looked up to find Gray stomping toward him, tossing away clothes in the process. Natsu's fists burst into flames, and he charged to meet Gray.

Or he would have, if not for Gray getting shoved headfirst into the bar by Lisanna as she ran past and eagerly launched herself into Natsu's arms. As it was, Natsu barely had time to extinguish his hands before he caught her. He glanced down at Gray, who was twitching but otherwise not moving, and reminded himself that monstrous strength ran in Lisanna's family.

"Natsu, you're back!" Lisanna cried happily.

Natsu was startled to see tears in her eyes. It had been a long three months for him as well, but there had been no real danger, and of course he was always coming back. But then, they'd once thought that same thing about her and been horribly wrong. And though it had been horrible for everyone here, thinking she was dead, surely it was just as bad for her, alive and trapped in Edolas with no way home. Suddenly, he understood why she might cry, even if he'd only been gone for an hour, or even a few minutes.

Lisanna was equally startled when Natsu closed his eyes and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her neck and inhaling her scent. But she had also known him long and well enough to know exactly what he was thinking and feeling. So she merely pulled him closer, gently running her fingers through his hair. "I'm not going anywhere this time, Natsu," she whispered in his ear. "I promise."

"You don't have to," he replied with a cheeky grin. "Once I'm Master, I'll fix it so that all your missions will be with me."

She snorted. "And you don't think that's a gross misuse of power?"

"Nah, that would be if I only sent Elfman out with Evergreen."

"OI!" came two angry shouts from opposite ends of the lobby.

"I think they heard you," Lisanna giggled.

Natsu grinned, but it faded quickly. "Lisanna, can we go somewhere and talk? I need to ask you something important."

She frowned at him. "So long as it's not a proposal-" Lisanna stopped, noticing the guilty look on his face. "It's not, right?"

"...two questions, then?" he asked weakly.

Lisanna glared at him. "The first one better be a whopper, because there's no way I'm marrying a jerk that's never even taken me on a proper date!"

Natsu was shocked, though not for the reason Lisanna was expecting. "What, you mean Edolas Me never-?"

Her hand clamped around his throat. "You _really_ don't want to finish that sentence, buster," she growled. Lisanna glanced over at the bar, where Mirajane was watching them with concern. "Mira, we're going to need the Master's office for a little while."

"You're not going to break anything in there, are you?" Mirajane asked warily.

"Just him," Lisanna promised with a scowl.

Mirajane visibly relaxed and smiled. "In that case, please close the door so no one is distracted by the screams."

"I'm not going to scream at her!" Natsu snapped.

"You will if she does what I think she's going to do to you," Mirajane replied, giving him a pitying look.

* * *

><p>Lisanna spent the first few minutes pacing back and forth, trying to cool down. It didn't work too well, because every time she glanced at Natsu, she got angry all over again. "Okay, let's get one thing straight right now," she snapped. "I never touched Edolas Natsu, and I'd never let him touch me! He's nothing like you, and most importantly, even if he was, <em>he's not you<em>! He's practically a stranger! You're the one I grew up with! I can't believe you actually thought I'd go out with him just because he kinda looked like you!"

"...I wouldn't have blamed you if you had," Natsu muttered, startling her. "I'd be mad, but never at you. I know what it's like to be alone, and I'd never wish that on you." He frowned at her. "I still don't get why you're so upset about it. You said you loved Edolas Mira and Elfman too much to break their hearts by telling them the truth. How is this any different?"

"They were family and they needed me. The only thing Edolas Natsu needed was a fast car. Anyway, he and Edolas Lucy were... _close_. Which is part of why he never even looked at me twice." Lisanna paused and took a deep breath. "That's what this is really about, right? Our Lucy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Natsu, don't deny it. As if Edolas wasn't proof enough. I've seen you two together, and I know how much you care for her. It hurts, but I can accept it, so long as you're honest about what you want. But I am _not_ a consolation prize. So if you expect me to marry you, you've got a lot of convincing to do. Because from where I'm standing, the person you really want to marry isn't in this room."

She was right, Natsu realized. Lisanna wouldn't like the truth, but chances were she'd know if he lied to her. Not because he was especially bad at it, but because being less than truthful to someone he cared for so much didn't feel right. "The truth is, Mavis told me that if I want to be like the old man, I should start a family. I thought it was nuts, of course. I don't know anything about taking care of a family, much less starting one. But I do think Mavis was onto something, and I can't stop thinking about it. And you're right, I did think about Lucy. But I also thought about you."

"And I'm the one that's here," Lisanna sighed in a resigned sort of way.

"That's not the only reason," Natsu said. "Lucy was... a breath of fresh air. When I was with her, it was easier not to think about how much it hurt losing you. If you're asking if I loved her, or if I was in love with her, I don't know. But I do know that she was only able to become my best friend because you weren't there anymore. And it wasn't like we could pick up where we left off when you came home. You needed to be with Mira and Elfman, and Lucy was still here. So I gave you your space, but I needed it, too. I didn't know which of you I was going to have to hurt eventually. And before I could figure it out, she was gone."

"You haven't said anything yet that proves you want me and only me," Lisanna insisted.

"You're right," Natsu admitted. "Honestly, I don't think there's anything I could say. If I said something convincing, it would be a lie, and I can't do that. Lisanna, I know you want to hear that I decided. That I picked one of you over the other. But I could only do that if you were both here right now. That's the only way I'd know."

"Then why are we even having this conversation, Natsu? You don't know who you want!"

"But I know _what_ I want. I want to be like the old man, and I've always wanted a family. And you're right, it doesn't mean much in terms of who I want. But Lucy was able to walk away from her family because it hurt her too much to stay with them. She had her reasons, and I could never blame her for it. But I also know that you would never do that. You proved to me that even if it hurt to look at Mira and Elfman every day, you'd stay because you loved them. And you risked your life to help Elfman, when you could have walked away. Maybe that doesn't mean anything. Maybe it means everything. I choose to think it means you'd do anything for your family. And I know if I had one, I'd do the same. I think that's what Mavis was trying to tell me. And I also think that's why I need you in my family, Lisanna. You'd never walk away, and you'd do anything to protect it. It's no different from being a good Master, and I don't think I can do it without you."

"But you didn't pick me," Lisanna whispered, shaking her head. "You didn't pick her, but you didn't pick me, either. And if she came back tonight, what would you do?"

"I don't know," Natsu admitted. "All I can promise is that if you marry me, I'll never leave you."

"But would that mean anything if deep down, you wanted to?"

"Only you can decide that, Lisanna. But let me ask you something. A long time ago, you said you wanted to be my wife. I know we were kids, and I didn't really believe you then. But I need to know: do you still want to marry me? And if you do, do you want it enough that you can overlook that I didn't pick you?"

"I don't know," Lisanna murmured. "Would you still be Master if I said no?"

"I'd feel a lot better about it if you said yes. But I'd still do it. Mavis believes in me, and even if I can't count on your help, I want to protect the guild the best I can."

"Then... no, I won't marry you," Lisanna decided. "I'll do whatever I can to help you, but... I don't think we're supposed to be together anymore."

Natsu looked away. "I understand. I'm sorry that I hurt you, Lisanna. I never wanted to."

"I know that, Natsu." She hesitated, then came closer and hugged him. "Thank you for telling me the truth."

"What should I tell Mira if she asks what we talked about in here?" Natsu asked.

"It won't matter. I tell her everything, eventually. But I think she'll appreciate it more if you tell her the truth, minus a few details."

"Which parts should I leave out?"

"Anything you think might give her a reason to transform and kill you," Lisanna said with a straight face.

Natsu laughed, but stopped when her expression didn't change. "But... Mira likes me!"

"She likes everyone. Doesn't mean she wouldn't kill them if they broke her baby sister's heart."

"But I didn't! Did I?" Natsu asked desperately.

"No. But you definitely wounded it a little. Don't worry, she''ll at least leave you alive so that Elfman gets a turn, so I'm not feeling particularly generous at the moment. Good luck!" And with that, Lisanna shoved him out of the office.

Natsu had no time to recover before Mirajane seemed to appear out of nowhere. "So, how did it go?" she asked, smiling as usual.

"Not... terrible," Natsu replied. "I asked her how she felt about marrying me, and she basically said no. But she had good reasons."

Mirajane sighed and patted him on the head. "Poor Natsu. I'm sorry. But we have this rule for a reason."

Natsu blinked. "Rule? What rule, Mira?"

"She didn't tell you? Normally, we tend to be a little lax in enforcing it, but given what happened to Lisanna, she agreed to it the moment we got her back. Any marriage proposal has to first be approved by the oldest sibling. Me, in other words."

"Really?" Natsu asked. "Lisanna didn't say anything about that!"

"I suppose she wanted you to find out from one of us. And now you have, so there's no problem, right?"

"...right," Natsu agreed, suddenly feeling less than assured. It was true Lisanna hadn't told him about this rule, but it didn't feel like a test of any kind. He was certain that even if he gained Mirajane's permission, Lisanna's answer wouldn't change. Still, it probably wouldn't hurt to have Mirajane on his side.

Mirajane smiled at him expectantly. "So, is there anything you want to ask me, Natsu?"

"Um... well, since it's a rule and all, of course I'll respect it. Mirajane, may I please have your permission to marry Lisanna?"

Mirajane's smile widened the slightest bit. "Of course you may not! Thank you for asking, though!"

Natsu gaped at her. "Wait, what? Did I ask wrong or something?"

"No, you were very polite. That isn't the problem at all."

"Then, um... what _is_ the problem, exactly?" Natsu's heart sank when Mirajane produced what could only be a list from her pocket, unfolded it, and began to read.

"Let me see... refusing to officially acknowledge Lisanna as your pretend wife, failing to make your intentions clear to Lisanna, allowing Happy to be born without a proper mother, spending a considerable amount of time with an equally attractive woman other than Lisanna, failing to properly apologize for any misconceptions that may have arisen from said time, and generally being an insensitive jerk about Lisanna's feelings."

"...when exactly did you start this list?" Natsu asked, suspecting he knew the answer already.

Mirajane folded the list up and slipped it back into her pocket. "The first time Lisanna came home crying because you said marriage was stupid."

"We were kids then, Mira!"

"And that made her tears less real?"

"No, of course not! I never wanted her to cry!"

"Neither did I. And I don't want her to cry again, either."

Natsu sighed. "Mira, I don't want to hurt her."

Mirajane nodded. "I'm sure you didn't want to then or now, but you still managed it. Natsu, it isn't your feelings for Lisanna that I doubt, though apparently she does. What I doubt is that you'll be able to take care of her, and give her what she needs. Until that changes, I can't give you my permission to marry her, and I won't apologize for that."

* * *

><p>Natsu lost a lot of sleep that night, thinking over everything Lisanna and Mirajane had said. Oddly enough, he was prepared to accept that Lisanna might never agree to marry him. He was even convinced that he could live with that. But it bothered him, the idea that Mirajane might think that he wasn't good enough for Lisanna. Perhaps coming from anyone else, it wouldn't have stung quite so much. He still fully expected Elfman to say it, for example. But it had never even occurred to Natsu that Mirajane might not support his pursuit of Lisanna. She had offered him nothing but encouragement and occasional teasing on the matter as far back as he could remember, and never had she tried to come between them, even when she would have been well within her rights to do so.<p>

So why was it that she trusted him to fight beside Lisanna, but not to take care of her as his wife? Was he really that unreliable in her eyes? If so, Natsu reasoned, it was something he couldn't accept. If even one of the guild's S-Class mages didn't believe in him, how could he be Fairy Tail's new Master?

"I can't," Natsu whispered, and as hard as it was to admit, he knew it was true.

* * *

><p>The following morning, the entire guild was buzzing with excitement. Natsu had been too preoccupied to notice, but he was sure that Mavis had already announced him as the Fourth Master, just as she'd promised. Normally, he would have welcomed and fed off of all the excitement in the air, but now it just made him feel sick to his stomach.<p>

No one seemed to notice his sour mood. If anything, they passed it off as nerves. Numerous people ran up and slapped him on the back, or congratulated him. Each only made the uneasy feeling worse, but they also made Natsu more certain of what he had to do.

He climbed onto the bar as Makarov had so many times before, and it was a testament to how familiar the sight was that a hush fell over the room at once. Natsu looked out over the crowd, and noticed at once that Mavis was nowhere in sight. Perhaps she had already returned to the world beyond. It was for the best, he decided. That way she couldn't overrule what he was about to say.

"I never really thought I'd make a decent Master. Even after the first time that Mavis told me, part of me thought she was kidding. All I ever really wanted was family, friends, and a good fight here and there. But Mavis stuck to her guns, and here we are. She's been wrong before, and I have plenty of doubts, but no one can deny that the guild needs someone to lead it. I gave it a lot of thought, and I finally asked myself the one question that really mattered. What would the old man want? I think he'd want someone you all believed in, someone you'd gladly follow into fire, darkness, or death. I'm starting to think that I could be that someone, one day. But I know now, for sure... that day isn't today. I can't be your Master yet."

It was easy to spot Lisanna's face in the crowd, as it had gone pale. Natsu knew what she was thinking: that he was doing this because of her refusal to marry him. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

"I found out yesterday that there's someone here who doesn't believe in me. Don't get me wrong, they had some excellent reasons. I thought I could be okay with that. And then I found out that they weren't the only one. That's when it hit me. If there are even two people here that don't think I can do the job, I'm doing something wrong, and I need to change. I don't want to be Master until I'm sure that you're all behind me. Otherwise, there's no point. So until I'm ready, I'm only giving one order for now. Mira's in charge of the day-to-day stuff, unless Laxus wants to pitch in whenever he's around."

This earned quite a bit of confusion, and for good reason. Mirajane had more or less always stepped in when Makarov was away, so Natsu's declaration was less of an order and more of a continuation of the way things had always been done. In fact, Mirajane had likely been the one in charge during the three months that Mavis had been away. Natsu hadn't thought to ask, but he couldn't imagine anyone else had done it.

Natsu caught a glimpse of Mirajane's face as he stepped down. For once, she didn't look happy, but he purposely avoided her and headed straight for the Master's office. Once inside, he tried to close the door, but it was forced open as Lisanna slipped in, and then again when Elfman followed her.

"You said you would still be Master!" Lisanna cried, pointing at Natsu accusingly. "So what was that?!"

Natsu sighed. "I already told you the reason out there. I was still going to go through with it when we last talked. But then I found out you weren't the only one with doubts, and I had to take a second look at things."

"That doesn't mean you can't be Master!"

Natsu stared at her. "Lisanna, I couldn't even convince you to marry me. What kind of Master would I be?"

She jerked back as if struck. "That... that's not fair! You can't use me as an excuse!"

"He isn't, Lisanna," Mirajane sighed as she slipped in and shut the door. "He's using both of us. I was the second person with doubts."

Lisanna stared at her sister in shock. "You, Mira? But why? You said you thought Natsu would be a great Master!"

This was news to Natsu, who turned to Mirajane for an explanation.

"I still feel that way," Mirajane insisted. "My doubts had nothing to do with his ability to lead, however. I essentially told him the same thing that you did, Lisanna: that I wouldn't give him permission to marry you as he is."

Lisanna shook her head. "But that has nothing to do with you being Master, Natsu!"

"Except that it has everything to do with it," Natsu disagreed. "You three have known me since I was a kid. If there were ever three people I didn't think I had to convince of my character, it was you. And now I find out that two of you don't believe in me. Did you really think I'd just ignore that, or not care what your opinions were of me? You guys are..." Natsu trailed off, his eyes widening.

"What?" Lisanna demanded.

"...practically my family," Natsu whispered. "If you can't believe in me, how can I expect anyone else to?"

Lisanna glared at him. "Did it ever occur to you that you might be a lousy husband, but a great Master? How often do you think Master Makarov lost sleep over the way his son and Laxus turned out? Even he wasn't perfect, Natsu!"

"I know that. And I promised you, Lisanna, that I'd never leave you if we got married. I'd put my family before the guild. The thing is, I can't keep that promise until I actually have a family. So I guess nothing changes until you're ready to believe that I'll keep my word. I know I've let you down, but I'm not going to start lying to you."

"So you think that you're good enough for my sister?" Elfman asked in a challenging tone.

"No," Natsu replied at once. "I was never good enough for her. The difference is, there was a time when she wouldn't have cared about that. There was a time when she would have married me no matter what anyone said, including you two. But she wouldn't now."

"So what?" Lisanna asked. "You won't become Master until I agree to marry you?"

Natsu shook his head. "You wouldn't agree to marry me unless you believed in me. I won't become Master until at least you three believe in me again. It's not all about you, Lisanna, so there's no reason to feel guilty."

"How can I not?! You wouldn't have to go through all this trouble if you'd just picked me from the start!"

"I think you're more worried that I wouldn't have to go through all this trouble if I'd picked Lucy," Natsu countered. "Right?"

Lisanna looked away, her face red.

Natsu gently wrapped his arms around her. "You're probably right. Lucy would have definitely put up a fight about it, but in the end I'd only have to convince her. But maybe I think you're worth all the trouble, Lisanna. Maybe that's how much I believe you're the one I'm supposed to be with. Maybe that's how much I want you to believe in me again."

"I just don't want to be part of the reason you won't become Master," Lisanna whispered against his shoulder. "I really want you to do it, Natsu. I know you'd be great at it."

"You know I don't give up, Lisanna. I don't know how, but I'm going to change your mind. I just need some time. So don't give up on me yet."

"No matter what you say, I'm still not marrying you until you take me on at least one date, Natsu Dragneel!" Lisanna grabbed Natsu by his ears and kissed him roughly, leaving him stunned.

Natsu was suddenly very aware of the fact that they were not alone. But Mirajane was beaming at them, and Elfman was weeping silently, hiding his tears behind his massive arm. Also, Wendy was standing in the doorway, blushing harder than ever.

"Um, maybe I should come back later," Wendy murmured. "It's just, I have a message from Master Mavis."

"She's still here?" Natsu asked at once.

Wendy shook her head. "She said, um... there was a high probability that you'd try to refuse the position, and if that happened, I'm supposed to give you this note." She held out a folded piece of paper, which looked as if it had been unfolded and refolded many times, and possibly cried over a few times, if Wendy's slightly red eyes and the guilty look on her face were any indication.

"Wendy," Mirajane said sternly as Natsu took the note, "is there any chance that you already read the note?"

"M-Master Mavis never said I couldn't!" Wendy stammered. "Anyway, when she said Natsu might not be Master, I got worried, so... yes, I read it, and I'm not sorry!"

Natsu wasn't all that concerned about it once he read the note. There didn't seem to be anything confidential or meant only for his eyes, anyway. Mavis had only written down two phrases, followed by the instruction that Natsu should immediately take on a mission involving either one when they came to his attention. Neither phrase meant anything to him, but if Mavis said they were important, he wasn't going to doubt her.

"I don't understand, Wendy. Why are you so upset about this note?" Natsu asked.

"Y-You're going to leave, aren't you?" Wendy sniffled.

"Um, Mavis says these are missions, so I think I'll have to. I doubt this has anything to do with Magnolia, so I'd guess there will be some traveling involved. Why is that such a big deal? I've left on missions before."

"Take me with you!" Wendy sobbed, flinging herself at Natsu's chest.

"Huh?" Natsu patted Wendy's head awkwardly as she began weeping into his shirt. "Wendy, what's wrong?"

"I think Wendy is afraid that you won't come back," Mirajane explained. "It is strange that Master Mavis didn't mention these missions to you before. Their importance seems to imply that they may also be extremely challenging and likely dangerous."

"I've already lost two Masters," Wendy whimpered. "Three if you count Master Mavis. I don't want to lose you, Natsu!"

"You're not going to lose me, Wendy," Natsu promised. "And of course you can come with me. There's no one else I'd rather have watching my back."

"But you don't even know what the missions are!" Lisanna protested.

"I could use someone who believes in me right now," Natsu said simply. "In fact, screw waiting around for these two missions to show up. I say we go out there and find ourselves a job right now. You up for it, partner?"

Wendy nodded, wiping her face on her arm. "I'm ready!"

"You two can't just leave!" Lisanna argued. "What about the guild, Natsu?"

He shrugged. "You heard what I said. Mira will handle things for now. If you've got a problem with that, take it up with her."

Lisanna turned to Mirajane with pleading eyes. "Mira, tell him he can't leave!"

"Who am I to go against our Master's wishes?" Mirajane asked. "He has given me a duty, and I will see it through."

"You know, you're welcome to join our team, Lisanna," Natsu offered.

Lisanna glared at him, and had opened her mouth to respond when Elfman placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I think Lisanna needs some time to deal with her anger, Natsu. But since that leaves you with an open slot, I'll be glad to fill it."

Natsu grinned and shook Elfman's hand. "Sounds good to me. Welcome aboard!"

Muttering under her breath, Lisanna stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"She just needs a chance to cool down," Elfman assured them. "Wendy, why don't we go take a look at the mission postings?"

Wendy nodded and followed him out of the room.

"So you're leaving," Mirajane said softly, turning to Natsu. "I didn't expect that."

"Honestly, neither did I," Natsu admitted. "But I thought it over, and I think this is for the best."

"Natsu, I hope you didn't misunderstand me yesterday. None of that was meant to hurt you or damage your confidence. It's just that when I got Lisanna back, I promised myself that I would never take her for granted again. I've done my best to take better care of her, and it's quite a challenge, because she fights me on it every step of the way. I just want to be sure that it's a challange you're up to. I know you promised that you'd never leave your wife. But what if she wanted to leave you? You think you can make Lisanna happy, and I believe that you can. But you have to be prepared for what she's like when she's unhappy. The last thing I want is to see you two end your marriage. So I'm not doing this because I don't care about you two. I'm doing it because I do, so very much."

"Thank you for telling me that, Mira. I really needed to hear it. And don't worry about Elfman, okay? I'll get your little brother back to you in one piece." Natsu had just turned to leave when he suddenly felt Mirajane's arms sliding around his neck from behind.

"I want _both_ of my little brothers back in one piece," she stated, hugging him gently.

Natsu smiled and lightly patted her arm. "Just leave it to me, big sis."

* * *

><p>Those first few missions with Wendy and Elfman turned out to be exactly what Natsu's confidence needed. They each had their own reasons for accompanying him. Wendy just wanted to make sure he didn't die on her. Elfman, on the other hand, felt that Lisanna would eventually come around, and would feel better knowing that her brother was keeping Natsu safe. Of course, between Natsu and Elfman, they tended to get into big brawls with random people fairly often, so exactly how safe Elfman kept Natsu was pretty open to debate. And of course it brought them closer, which Natsu had been counting on. Apparently, Elfman had never actually been opposed to Natsu marrying Lisanna, he'd just wanted to be sure that Natsu was willing to fight for her. Elfman wasn't willing to go against Mirajane on the matter, but Natsu didn't really blame him for that. His greatest fear was that Mirajane would demand a trial by combat, and Natsu could see no way to defeat her in a fight. To his knowledge, none of Fairy Tail's other S-Class mages could truthfully say they'd defeated Mirajane since she'd gained that rank. True, this was likely because they either hadn't tried, or simply had been smart enough not to try. And while Natsu could honestly say he'd defeated S-Class opponents, none of them were Mirajane.<p>

The new-found closeness had one consequence that Natsu hadn't been counting on: once he did start a family, Wendy wanted him to adopt her. This was incredibly awkward until Wendy clarified that she wanted to be his sister, not his daughter. Carla was not a fan of that decision, but it clearly meant so much to Wendy that Carla was unwilling to say a word against it. In any case, there was nothing Natsu could do at the time but promise Wendy what she wanted. He didn't imagine it would be a problem for Lisanna, and it was certainly preferable to trying to sell her on adopting Gajeel.

Natsu was eating fish the first time he heard about the other Fire Dragon Slayer. His first reaction was not jealousy, or anger, but joy. He thought he had found another comrade. Elfman brought him the news, having overheard it at a local bar. A dark guild had been wiped out by the Fire Dragon Slayer, all because they had insulted his cat. Natsu and Wendy smiled at each other and said nothing.

But as more news poured in, they stopped smiling. The other Fire Dragon Slayer began attacking both legal and dark guilds seemingly at random, with total destruction always the end result. No one ever mistook this person for Natsu, however. If anything, Natsu's popularity skyrocketed because he _didn't_ go around looking for people to massacre. He got hired several times to protect clients who feared attack by the rogue Slayer, but Natsu was never able to even pick up the Slayer's scent, much less spot him, so he always refused payment.

Caution won over curiosity: Natsu made no attempt to contact or encounter the rogue Slayer. Perhaps he would have felt differently, if it had just been he and Elfman. But he wasn't prepared to risk Wendy's life just to get some answers. He felt certain that their paths would eventually cross no matter what he did, and he was in no hurry to make it happen.

He had no way of knowing then, but Natsu could have saved a precious life if he'd forced that meeting, and also made a lifelong friend in the process. Instead, his inaction would always haunt him, and he would be saddled with a sibling he could never consider family, someone he would rather kill than forgive, and yet someone he could never strike in anger out of respect for Igneel.

* * *

><p>Natsu had left Mirajane in charge of the guild because he knew she could handle it, and he trusted her. They never agreed on a timeframe for when Natsu would officially take over. Natsu just assumed he would know when he was ready.<p>

Mirajane's thought process was drastically different.

Whenever Natsu was in the guild, she pestered him to sign various documents, asked his opinion on nearly everything she did, and generally made a nuisance of herself. As much as someone gorgeous, upbeat, and generally beloved by all could be a nuisance, anyway. Anytime Natsu got annoyed and flat out told her to handle it on her own, she would always respond sweetly, "I would never dream of doing that without your permission, Master!"

On paper, Natsu was already Fairy Tail's Fourth Master. In reality, Mirajane was gradually, subtly, masterfully grooming him for it, and he had no idea at the time. Mavis would have been supremely pleased. It had been her idea, after all. Only she had allowed for short periods where Mirajane stopped bugging Natsu and allowed him to relax a little. Mirajane mostly pretended that part of the plan never existed. If Natsu had simply named her Master, she would have left him alone... sort of. Since he hadn't, she fully expected him to keep his promise to Lisanna and become Master. Even if she had to poke and prod him into it. Which she didn't mind. He was cute when he squirmed, after all.

The one thing Natsu hadn't minded giving his opinion of was the rank of S-Class. Since the last exam had left a bad impression on everyone, no one wanted to do it again. So, without notifying anyone of the change, they replaced the exam with a vote. Twice a year, a pool of candidates was selected, and the current S-Class mages would say yes or no to each. A unanimous vote was required for anyone to obtain the rank. If there was only one vote against, however, that voter had to defend their position to the other voters. This was, for the most part, unneeded: Laxus was usually the only hold-out, and since he was often away and hated to return just for the vote, they generally voted without him.

Gajeel was the first person promoted in this manner. When handed the certificate, he just grunted and glared a bit. So Mirajane accidentally let it slip to Levi, who dragged Gajeel out for a night on the town. Gajeel refused to say what they'd done, but hadn't quite managed to wipe the lipstick stains or the goofy grin off of his face in time.

Since Natsu was partnering almost exclusively with Elfman and Wendy, other guildmates began forming their own teams. Both Levi and Lisanna gravitated to Gajeel, who complained for a whole day, until he realized Lisanna could protect Levi while he was busy brawling. Juvia continued to stalk Gray, and they were joined by Romeo, who despite his youth had great potential with fire magic, and constantly needed a dependable supply of water around. Macao often shadowed them, worried that Juvia's amorous nature might give Romeo some unwelcome ideas about girls (though between years of stashing centerfolds of Mirajane under his bed, many taken from his father's own collection, Romeo already had all the ideas about girls he felt he needed).

The guild was thriving, if not thanks to Natsu's leadership, then certainly to Mirajane's. The fame of the other Dragon Slayers and S-Class mages certainly helped out considerably, and at no point was the guild seriously in debt to anyone (except perhaps Doranbolt, who unintentionally took up Yajima's role of keeping the Magic Council off of Fairy Tail's back, both out of guilt, and a growing realization that the guild generally had a lot more to do with stopping evil than the Council ever did).

Everything changed for Natsu the day that a certain mission request came in. Normally, they were allowed to pick and choose their own jobs with reason, unless something of overwhelming importance came up. Those jobs never appeared on the mission board at all: they went directly to Mirajane, who brought them to Natsu if he was around, and at least informed him of them when he wasn't. This particular mission was so important that Mirajane actually left the guild herself, interrupted Laxus on his current job and dragged him back to the guild, just so she would be free to track Natsu down in the field, The job was so important that Laxus didn't even put up a fight, once he found out who it was from. Of course, Laxus getting to boss people around back at the guild might have had a little something to do with it, too.

Natsu was decidedly less eager about his own mission being interrupted, even once Mirajane told him why. "What do I care if one of the Wizard Saints wants me to do a job? Couldn't he just pass it on to Jura? Don't those guys have meetings or something?"

Mirajane shook her head. "Actually, the impression I got from Master Makarov was that they rarely ever saw each other. They have little to no say in who the Magic Council hands the title to, so it's far more likely that all ten have never been in one place at the same time, and several have probably never met each other at all. Master Makarov went out of his way to meet Jura simply because our respective guilds weren't hostile toward each other, and he wanted to keep it that way."

"Still doesn't explain why I have to do this mission," Natsu insisted.

"The Wizard Saint requested both of us for this mission, even knowing how essential we are to the guild."

"How do you know he's not just some big shot throwing his weight around?"

"Because he's a founding member of Fairy Tail, someone Master Mavis still trusts, and he's offering rare information about a fire dragon as a reward."

"Igneel?!" Natsu cried at once, grabbing Mirajane's shoulders.

"There's no way to be sure until we ask. It's certainly possible, Warrod Sequen has lived for more than a century."

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Natsu, Elfman, Wendy, and Mirajane arrived at Sun Village. At least, the map Warrod Sequen had provided indicated as much, and the rapidly moving tree he'd also provided had brought them as far as it was supposed to.<p>

But there was no Sun Village to be found. There was only a massive crater where the village was supposed to be.

"I don't understand," Wendy said at last. "He said Sun Village was frozen solid, not missing entirely. Could he have been mistaken?"

"I don't think one of the Wizard Saints would make such a large mistake, Wendy," Mirajane disagreed. "Since Warrod Sequen said that Sun Village was frozen solid, then I am sure it must have been at some point. But something must have happened afterward, something he was totally unaware of."

"Maybe they unfroze themselves somehow?" Natsu guessed. "And then moved on so they couldn't be frozen again?"

"But why destroy the site of their own village?" Elfman asked. "Did they have something to hide?"

"Perhaps the village was attacked twice," Mirajane suggested. "The ice was the first attack, and this crater was the second."

"But that would mean that everyone in the village is... dead?" Wendy whispered in horror.

"It's starting to look that way, I'm afraid," Mirajane answered. "However, the inhabitants were all giants. If there were corpses or skeletons to find, they would be terribly easy to spot. So either they left, or whatever magic did this completely destroyed their village, and their bodies. At the very least, we owe it to them to have a look around. If there are any remains, we will bury them properly."

Thankfully, there were no remains, but also no evidence as to how the village had been destroyed. As a result, there was only so much information they could take back to their client. Natsu was frustrated, because he'd been sure that he would be able to thaw out the village, despite Warrod's earlier claim that it might prove more complicated than that. Apparantly, the old man hadn't known how right he was.

* * *

><p>"This is unexpected," Warrod murmured after they gave him the news. "Sun Village... not just frozen, but now gone. Such a horrible fate... I am sure the village guardian's heart would break over such a tragedy. All the same, I thank you for investigating, Fairy Tail. I believe I promised you information about a fire dragon."<p>

"Is it Igneel?!" Natsu demanded.

Warrod blinked slowly. "No, the fire dragon I know is called Atlas Flame. He was Sun Village's guardian, and a rather devoted one, which makes the village's fate so very strange."

"Do you mean because he failed to protect the village?" Wendy asked.

"I have no doubt that he did everything in his power. Which would mean that the attacker was truly fearsome indeed. But you must understand, Atlas was no longer in his prime. In fact, he had been dead for some time, and only his spirit remained to guard the village. Such was his devotion to his people."

"Do you think it could have been the other Fire Dragon Slayer?" Elfman asked.

Warrod shook his head. "Atlas was a Hellfire Dragon. I do not believe that a Fire Dragon Slayer could destroy his spirit without extreme difficulty. And they almost certainly would be unable to use ice magic, especially to such an extensive degree." He paused and turned to Mirajane. "You say there was not even a trace of the village left?"

"Nothing but the crater," Mirajane confirmed. "Why?"

"It may just be wishful thinking on my part, but there was no end to Atlas's devotion to his people. It's what helped his spirit linger on for so very long in this world. There's no doubt in my mind that, if it was in his power, he would bear the entire village on his back in order to carry it to safety."

The four Fairy Tail mages stared at him in shock.

"A-Are you saying that's what happened?" Wendy gasped.

"No. Only that I wish it had," Warrod sighed. "And that Atlas would have done it, without hesitation, were he still alive. But I doubt his spirit would have been capable of it without a physical form."

"What if he trained a Dragon Slayer?" Natsu asked abruptly. "Could they have done it?"

"If he had one, I knew nothing about it. But Atlas would have put the village before all things. So if there was such a Dragon Slayer, they would certainly have been taught magic that could protect the village. And they would be terribly strong. Possibly far stronger than any Dragon Slayer I'd heard of, present company included."

* * *

><p>Ivan Dreyar's smile was unnaturally wide as he sat down across from his guest. "Well, my dear. It's an honor and a pleasure to finally meet you. You are quite difficult to track down, despite your fame, Flare Corona."<p>

The obviously disturbed young woman said nothing, and merely stared straight ahead, Her bloodshot eyes seemed to be fixed on some point just behind Ivan's head.

"To the business at hand, then." Ivan leaned forward in his chair. "I want you to join Raven Tail."

Flare blinked once and only once. "I want all the information you have on Gray Fullbuster," she whispered.

"An exchange? That can be arran-"

"No. You will give me everything you have on Gray Fullbuster. I will not join your guild."

Ivan smirked. "I'm sure that with your power, you're used to getting your way. But so am I. And you don't frighten me."

"I don't need to frighten you. Most of the people I destroy only learn to fear me when it's too late to do them any good. You will be no different."

Ivan chuckled softly. "I see you don't understand. Raven Tail is a dark guild that specializes in certain skills. In short, I have several ways to destroy a Fire Dragon Slayer. You are no threat to me."

"That won't save you from me. You are the one who doesn't understand." Flare glared at him. "Last chance. Give me what I need."

Ivan stood up. "Perhaps after I've taught you a lesson in pain, you will be more inclined to see things the Raven Tail way."

Flare stood up as well. "He isn't willing to help, Whitestar. It's as you said."

"Then you'll have to defeat him without killing him, Flare," said the black cat that walked into the room on two legs. There was a white, star-shaped marking around each of its eyes. "Tricky, but I know you can do it."

Ivan shook his head. "Obra," he said to a tiny figure lurking in the darkness, "extinguish her magic."

"Actually," Whitestar disagreed, "Obra and I have a litlle wager, and neither of us is allowed to interfere. And even if that wasn't the case, Obra's true Master is interested in the outcome as well. So I hope you're prepared to defend yourself."

Ivan glared at the cat. "What do you mean? I am Obra's _only_ Master!"

Obra giggled and flew out of the darkness, landing on Whitestar's head. "You talk too much, kitty. Now your Slayer has to kill him. He knows too much."

Whitestar frowned. "As Raven Tail's Master, he would have the information we seek."

Obra smirked. "And what do you think I've been doing here, sitting on my hands? I've had access to Raven Tail's archives since day one. You don't need him at all."

"Traitor!" Ivan roared, firing a stream of shinigami at Obra. He knew it was pointless even before he attacked, and sure enough, Obra merely canceled out the magic before it reached him. Ivan was counting on the second stream of shinigami approaching Obra from behind to do the job, but that was canceled out as well.

"You actually tried to harm Obra," Flare murmured, a silky giggle tumbling from her lips. "In that case, you were dead either way. But before you die, a final piece of advice: you really should do a better job of researching your targets. Attacking Obra is just begging for a quick death, and as for me, you're sadly misinformed. I have never been a mere Fire Dragon Slayer."

Ivan stared at her. "You're bluffing."

Flare grinned at him, twisting a lock of her red hair around her fingers. "Hellfire Dragon Art: Inferno Blessing."

Ivan had no time to reflect on his enormous mistake, only to scream as a virtual sea of flames erupted from Flare's body and rushed to consume him, the rest of the room, and all of Raven Tail. In seconds, there was nothing left of the dark guild, save a stretch of badly scorched land where the guild building had once stood. The only living things that remained were the trio of mages.

"It would seem," Whitestar said, "that I have won our wager, Obra. But did you really think Flare would not be able to defeat Ivan Dreyar?"

Obra glared, obviously sulking over losing the wager. "I was counting more on the idea that she wouldn't be able to defeat the combined might of Raven Tail. I wasn't aware she had an attack capable of burning them all alive in an instant. Which begs the question of why you need what you say you need from me in the first place."

"That is our business. Will you honor the wager?"

"Yes," Obra hissed, moody but not entirely unwilling, judging by the hint of amusement in his eyes. "I will teach her Fire God Slaying. But I fail to see how she could possibly need it. And as a bonus, I will tell you everything that Raven Tail had on Gray Fullbuster."

"You're a devil," Flare decided abruptly, glaring at Obra.

Obra grinned evilly at her. "And you are both a Hellfire Dragon Slayer, and a Fire Devil Slayer. Tell me, are you going to try and slay me?"

"No," Flare replied, suddenly beaming as she leaned in and patted his head. "I've decided that I like you. You can travel with us, if you want."

"Would your Master have a problem with that?" Whitestar asked.

Obra shrugged. "I have been tasked with a number of duties. Teaching your Slayer is one of them, and the others are not so pressing at the moment."

Whitestar glared at him. "So you were always going to teach her, even without the wager."

Obra laughed, a truly unpleasant sound. Not as if he were unused to laughing, but as if the things he found funny, no one else would. "Yes. But you didn't ask, and even if you had, I would have lied. I am a devil, after all, and I must have some fun every now and then. So, now that we understand each other, let's get started!"

* * *

><p>Natsu had grown increasingly worried by the time they returned to the guild, for a very simple reason. "Sun Village" had been one of the key phrases that Mavis had said would be attached to a mission of great importance. Naturally, what with the mysterious and unresolved nature of the mission, Natsu was not at all satisfied with the way things had turned out. Whatever Mavis had intended for him with that particular mission, he felt sure it had not been accomplished. Because of that, Natsu was not at all interested in moving on to another mission. But he wasn't given much choice.<p>

Standing in front of the guild building was the only other living Wizard Saint that Natsu was familiar with, Jura Neeksis of Lamia Scale. "Greetings, my friends," he said, offering them each a quick nod. "It is good to see you all unharmed. I bring you warm greetings from Lamia Scale, and also this." He held out a sealed scroll to no one in particular, possibly because he either didn't know or didn't want to assume who the leader was.

After a few seconds, Mirajane accepted the scroll, carefully broke the seal, and began to read. "Natsu, it's addressed to you," she said at once, preparing to hand over the scroll without reading the rest.

Natsu merely grabbed one end of the scroll and stretched it out, so that Elfman and Wendy could also read it. It was more than the fact that he had no real secrets from them: he trusted them in all situations, and he saw no reason to keep anything from them.

The scroll was a challenge, and with each line, Natsu's confusion grew.

"Son of Igneel, I challenge you to a glorious battle of life and death. If you dare, face me in combat on Tenrou Island in two weeks. I refuse to acknowledge you as Igneel's heir otherwise, you scoundrel, ruffian, pretender! Sincerely, Titanbreak, the Superhard Scourge, the Planetary Plague, the Core Crafter, the Tectonic Terror, and the One True King of Dragonkind."

"Uh, I think he wants to fight me," Natsu concluded. "But who is he, exactly?"

"Titanbreak, an Earth Dragon," Jura explained.

"You know him?" Natsu asked.

Jura hesitated in answering. "I am his Dragon Slayer."

"WHAT?!" Natsu shouted.

"Let me explain. I encountered him during my travels. He called me a pretender, and demanded to see my earth magic. He was... entirely immune to it. When I was done, he defeated me in seconds, and refused to let me leave until I had learned all he had to show me."

"So he's stronger than you?!" Elfman asked in sheer disbelief.

"Yes. He's also quite mad."

"About what?" Wendy asked, confused.

"I think Jura means that this dragon is not entirely sane," Mirajane explained.

"Not even a little," Jura corrected. "He's very old as well. I suspect he wishes to die in battle soon, which may explain this challenge."

"You don't seem too worried about this," Mirajane noted.

"I am grateful for his teachings, but to be perfectly honest, he only did it to prove he was stronger than me, and I was glad to finally be rid of him. I will not help you fight him, but I will not try to prevent you, either. I wish you good luck in this challenge, my friends."

"You assume Natsu is going to accept?" Mirajane asked.

Jura smiled. "I have never known you to walk away from a fight, Natsu. And in any case, if you tried to refuse, Titanbreak would hunt you down eventually. He is rather stubborn and set in his ways. And there is a certain benefit to you, if you can wound him. Are you aware what happens to a Dragon Slayer who bathes in a dragon's blood? He gains that dragon's magical power."

"How do you know that?" Elfman asked.

"Titanbreak told me, and he was quite lucid at the time. I have no reason to doubt it. If nothing else, surely defeating a dragon would make anyone stronger."

* * *

><p>Natsu remembered only bits and pieces of the battle against Titanbreak.<p>

He remembered assuming that because the dragon had no wings, that his mobility would be somewhat limited. He remembered being wrong about that: with his TerraForma ability, the earth dragon could sink into the ground and emerge elsewhere with shocking speed and no warning.

Natsu remembered Titanbreak's roar, which, in line with the dragon's tendency to give everything grand names, had aptly been renamed to Canyon Crafter Cannon. No matter where the roar was aimed, the ground split open underneath its passage, creating two swaves of destruction that were equally difficult to avoid.

Natsu remembered the first direct hit that had broken through the heavy, earthen plates that covered Titanbreak's body. Years ago, such a strike would have done no damage. But the dragon was old, and so was his body, and when the plate fell, exposing a single vulnerable area along his neck, Natsu knew they had a chance, if they concentrated all their attacks on that spot. But the fallen plate, so quickly forgotten, had almost meant their doom. Elfman managed the first successful strike against the exposed area, resulting in a torrent of the dragon's lifeblood.

Natsu remembered Titanbreak's chilling laugh as the blood splashed onto the fallen plate, which instantly broke into pieces and rose up into a hundred earth clones of Jura. They were not as strong as him, thankfully, but they didn't have to be. Infused with the dragon's blood and composed of his armor, even when destroyed, they simply repaired themselves and rose again, ready to continue the fight. Thus Titanbreak revealed his magic: Blood Rune Art, and in wounding him, they had only made the fight more difficult.

Most of all, Natsu remembered one of the Jura clones grabbing Wendy in a painful bear hug, and Titanbreak turning to her with murder in his eyes as he opened his mouth, preparing to unleash his roar. Natsu remembered feeling helpless as he fought through a seemingly endless number of clones, knowing in his heart he would never reach Wendy in time. Natsu remembered Elfman launching himself at the dragon's neck, plunging both his arms into the weak point and channeling all of his magical power in a desperate Take Over that would either save Wendy and defeat the dragon, or doom them all.

Oddly enough, none of them remembered what happened after that.

Natsu was the first to wake up, absolutely soaked in dragon blood, and with curious, hand-shaped burns on his arms. They were curious in that Natsu hadn't been burned since his fight with Zancrow, Grimoire Heart's Fire God Slayer. And as a direct result of that battle, he should have been immune to getting burned by that particular magic a second time. The clues began to slide into place then, and what Natsu saw next confirmed his suspicion.

As far as the eye could see, Tenrou Island's plant and animal population had ceased to exist. Mavis had assured him once that the magical properties of the island were essentially self-restoring, but it would definitely take some time to recover from the extent of the damage Natsu was seeing. Titanbreak had been beheaded, but by a weapon so superheated that it had instantly cauterized the wound. Elfman was nearby, no longer a rampaging earth dragon, and with a rather large bump on the back of his head. Wendy was propped up neatly against him, and for no reason that Natsu could figure, someone had taken the time to sprinkle rose petals all over her. Upon closer inspection, Natsu found a single, black hair on Wendy's dress, which smelled too much like cat to be a coincidence.

"The other Fire Dragon Slayer... saved us," he muttered, uncertain how to feel about it. Clearly, the person who had aided them was not an enemy of Fairy Tail: they had gone to the trouble of not only defeating the dragon, but also knocking out Elfman, and drenching Natsu in dragon blood to make him stronger. But this was the same person who had mercilessly destroyed guilds with no regard for human life. Could a heartless killer really ever be an ally? It was one of several questions Natsu had about that day, and it would be some time before he got an answer.

* * *

><p>It was no real surprise that Elfman chose to leave the team after that mission. Wendy blamed herself, but Elfman insisted that it wasn't her fault: her life was precious to him, and given the chance to do it all over again, he would have done nothing differently. It was not, however, emotional trauma that led to his decision, as many suspected. In fact, it was just the opposite: Elfman was determined to get his dragon transformation under control as soon as possible, in case he really did need to rely on its power in the future. But to keep others from being harmed in the process, he wanted to train in solitude on Tenrou Island.<p>

Natsu gave his permission without hesitation. He also needed time to explore his newly acquired Blood Rune Art, which so far seemed more dangerous to himself than to anyone else. Wendy gained plenty of experience in healing cuts and accelerating his body's ability to replenish blood. It was Levi who accidentally discovered Blood Rune Art's more subtle applications. Natsu had provided her with a sample of his blood to satisfy her curiosity, never really expecting anything to come of it. But after only a few days, Levi sat him down and revealed something truly startling.

The way that Titanbreak had used Blood Rune Art against them was perhaps the simplest way to do so: merely infusing blood into a substance to make it more durable, and essentially giving it life-like qualities. But Levi had found that the blood could be used, by itself, as a tool. Despite never having seen it used before, she had been able to produce random effects similar to her SolidScript simply by substituting the blood for ink in a pen. So far, she could only consistently cause small explosions by charging the blood with magic, but reasoned that Natsu could do much more as the actual source of the blood. Levi also reasoned that as old and powerful as Titanbreak had been, it was exremely unlikely that he had only discovered a single, simple application for the magic. The only thing she could conclude was that Titanbreak had not wanted to kill them, or at least not with Blood Rune Art. Theoretically, he could have merely caused a massive explosion and destroyed the entire island in the process.

It only made a tainted victory even worse in Natsu's mind. The idea that Titanbreak either hadn't been really trying, or hadn't taken them seriously, stung. Unless he could slay a dragon that was going all out, could he really consider himself a true Dragon Slayer? It helped somewhat that no other Dragon Slayer he knew had managed it, either, but surely someone would start asking eventually, especially with different types of Slayer magic gradually emerging.

Natsu made no effort to replace Elfman on the team, and instead focused all his energy on mastering Blood Rune Art. Wendy proved to be a more than capable assistant, offering suggestions where she could, and healing him without complaint no matter how exhausted she was. He felt certain that she was trying to make up for Elfman not being there. He was just as certain that there was no talking her out of it, since he was doing the same himself. In any case, going on a mission without Elfman would have felt strange to both of them. Still, Natsu felt he was progressing far too slowly, and it was starting to show. He was gradually withdrawing from the guild, spending the majority of his time training or resting at home. Far from complaining, Wendy had more or less moved in with him, and was seriously considering giving up her room at Fairy Hills, especially without the income that missions normally brought in. Natsu felt guilty about that, but there wasn't much he could do: Wendy didn't want to take a mission without Elfman, either, if not out of loyalty, then just because she didn't think there was anyone who could effectively replace him.

Had he really given it some serious thought, Natsu might have realized that the answer to their problem, while not immediately obvious, had been staring him in the face every day. It was not until Mirajane and Lisanna forced their way into his house, and dragged he and Wendy out for some fresh air that he saw the solution.

Elfman was currently the only mage in Fairy Tail that could turn into a dragon. But he wasn't the only one with the potential. It was an insane idea, one that had already nearly gotten them killed. But it was no secret that Elfman's sisters had always been more talented than him with their Take Over magic. At least, Natsu had never seen either of them lose control, and the few times they had seriously hurt someone, it had always been on purpose.

There was never any question in Natsu's mind about which sister he should approach to replace Elfman. It was not that he didn't believe Lisanna could handle it. It was that he just knew that Mirajane could.

Surprisingly, Mirajane agreed without hesitation. Her only condition was that Laxus take over running the guild in her place, which was arranged easily enough. Of course, it wasn't as if encountering a dragon was a common experience, and simply looking for one was pointless: the ones that weren't long dead were extremely elusive. Mirajane was not at all concerned about it. "If it's meant to happen, it will," she told Natsu. "Anyway, I have an idea on what we can do in the meantime. There's something I've been meaning to show you, but it never felt like the right time. Even now, I feel a little shy about it, and I'm not sure how you'll take it."

Natsu frowned at her. The only thing he could figure Mirajane showing anyone was her body, and she had certainly never been shy about that. If anything, it would just be awkward, because he wasn't sure how to be appreciative without offending her or Lisanna. And if Mirajane really wanted him to see that, why not just give him one of her magazine spreads?

He was more than a little shocked when Mirajane brought her hands together, and with no visible effort, formed a silver, sparkling ball of magical power. "Mira, you... Mavis taught you Fairy Law?!"

"Well, no," Mirajane murmured, allowing the magic to fade. "That's the awkward part: she didn't teach me. No one did. One day I just thought about it, and realized it probably wasn't all that complicated, and it wasn't. I've certainly done much more difficult spells. Fairy Sphere was even easier, and Fairy Glitter only took-"

"Wait, STOP!" Natsu interrupted. "You know all three, and nobody taught you?!"

"Basically," Mirajane admitted. "Only I thought if it wasn't allowed, Master Mavis would have come back and said something. She never did, so..." Mirajane shrugged helplessly.

Natsu couldn't imagine Mavis being upset over this. Actually, what he could imagine was her eyes gleaming in mischievious triumph over it, which only annoyed him further. "You know," he said at last, "if you're trying to guilt me into becoming Master by making me look bad, it's working."

"That's not what I was trying to do!" Mirajane protested, very upset by the implication.

"I was kidding, Mira. If you learned those spells on your own, then I'm sure Mavis would say you were supposed to. But why are you telling me this now?"

Mirajane bit her lip nervously. "Well, I think I figured out how to tweak Fairy Sphere so that it doesn't freeze you for years at a time. I think I can set it up so that you can get a year's worth of training in just a few days."

Natsu gaped at her. "Y-You can do that?" he asked weakly.

"I think so, yes." Mirajane glanced at him uncertainly. "You're not mad, are you?"

"Mad?! Mira, I could kiss you!" Before he could allow himself to think more about it, Natsu did just that, planting a big kiss on her cheek. "You're so amazing, Mira! This is exactly what we need right now! Elfman, too!"

"Well, I'm glad you're so pleased," Mirajane replied, blushing a little.

Natsu stared at her for a few seconds. "Mira... how come _you_ don't want to be Master?"

Mirajane blinked. "Did I say that?"

"No," Natsu admitted. "But you also never said you wanted to. And you've had plenty of chances to take over for good, but you passed them all up. And I think you'd be even better at it than me, honestly. You certainly couldn't do any worse than Laxus. And now you show me that you've taught yourself all three spells that only Fairy Tail's Master is supposed to know, and you still don't nominate yourself. What am I supposed to think? Come on, you'd be perfect!"

"You know," Mirajane said softly, "I had a very similar conversation with Master Mavis after the Master exam. She wanted to know why I hadn't even tried, because she thought I would have done very well. I told her I was always happy to support Fairy Tail's Master, but that it wasn't a job I wanted myself. She told me that for anyone who could easily be Master but wasn't interested, there were really only two possible roles for them in the guild." She took a deep breath and stared at Natsu. "So I made a promise to Master Mavis; that I would never be Master, because I would always be your Ace, Natsu. And I'm never going to stop pushing you until you've become the Master I know you can be."

"I... thank you, Mira," Natsu whispered, wondering how he could have ever doubted her loyalty to him. "But, um... you're still not going to let me marry Lisanna yet, are you?"

Mirajane beamed at him, but there was a hint of challenge in her eyes as she did so. "I think you already know the answer to that, Natsu."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he sighed sadly as she patted him on the back.

* * *

><p>With Mirajane's Fairy Sphere speeding things along, Natsu, Elfman, and Wendy all made great strides in their training in a short amount of time. Wendy even suggested that Natsu should take a turn to cast the spell, so that Mirajane could have a chance to train inside, but both Natsu and Elfman shot that idea down quickly. Mirajane was already stronger than all of them, even when she wasn't trying, and Natsu had serious doubts about deserving to be Master if he was never going to surpass his Ace. Although, if there was any Ace he could get used to the idea with, it would definitely be Mirajane.<p>

But even with the progress Natsu had made, he still felt uneasy. There was so much he wanted to get done, and there just didn't seem to be enough time for it all. Worse, they all seemed to be of nearly equal importance to him, and he could not decide which to pursue first. And it wasn't as if he could ask someone's opinion, either: most people would say without hesitation that defeating Zeref was more important than finding Lucy, marrying Lisanna, becoming Master, or tracking down a Fire Dragon Slayer. But there were days when Natsu honestly thought defeating Zeref should be last on the list, and not just because there was a good chance he could die in the attempt. Zeref appeared to be in no real hurry to do anything, and the odds of anyone else finishing him off were slim to none. Everything else on Natsu's list had a certain urgency that he felt should not be put off quite as long. Especially marrying Lisanna.

She had been so patient with him, when he knew that some of his choices had to be infuriating for her. Lisanna had eventually returned to treating him as she once had: with plenty of warmth, and a little teasing here and there. It reminded him of why he loved her, and there was no longer a question of that in his mind. Only two things prevented him from proposing now: Mirajane, and uncertainty of how Lisanna would respond. He was now sure that all three Strauss siblings believed in his ability to lead the guild, but so far only Elfman had given his blessing to marrying Lisanna. And Natsu still wasn't sure how he would convince Lisanna or Mirajane to say yes. All he knew was that love clearly wasn't enough.

* * *

><p>That day started like any other. Natsu, Elfman, and Wendy prepared to enter Mirajane's Fairy Sphere for training, but a panicked voice stopped them.<p>

"WAIT!" Lisanna wailed, waving frantically as she ran toward them. Happy and Carla were flying right behind her, both looking unusually solemn.

It was odd enough to see anyone else on Tenrou Island, even a member of Fairy Tail. Most kept their distance unless specifically asked to come, and even then it was usually Happy or Carla delivering supplies or news.

"Lisanna, what's-" Natsu began to ask, but Lisanna suddenly slammed into him, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his neck. It took him several seconds to realize that she was shaking uncontrollably and crying. "Lisanna?" Natsu whispered, rubbing her back. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Gray," Lisanna whimpered, but she would say no more.

"Gray's team was attacked yesterday," Carla explained. "We only found out because the Magic Council came across the site last night, and Doranbolt personally came to the guild this morning to inform us."

"But... they're okay, right?" Natsu insisted weakly. "Gray, Juvia, and Romeo are all okay?"

"No, Natsu," Happy murmured sadly. "Juvia's hurt really bad, and even if she heals... she won't ever be the same, because..." He looked away, unable to get the words out.

Carla gently patted his shoulder. "Romeo is missing," she continued, "and Gray is dead."

The world seemed to fall away, and Natsu was only vaguely aware of how everyone else reacted to the news. Gray, his friend, his brother, his rival... was gone. It didn't make any sense. It couldn't be true, but Happy would never lie about something like this, and Lisanna would not have come all the way to the island unless...

"Natsu," Happy said abruptly. "There's something else. The one who did this to our friends. Doranbolt and Juvia both said it was the other Fire Dragon Slayer."

The world snapped back into focus, and Natsu could hear a steadily building roar welling up inside of him, demanding to be released in the name of vengeance. "Doranbolt," Natsu said slowly. "Is he still at the guild?"

Carla nodded. "He wanted to speak to you before he left. Why does that matter?"

"He's going to do more than talk. He's going to take us there, I'm going to pick up the killer's scent, and we're going to end this. Mira, Elfman, you're with me."

Wendy began to protest being left out, but Natsu seized her by the shoulders.

"Wendy, please... do what you can for Juvia. Even if it's just making her comfortable. Even if it's just holding her hand at tne end. You let her know that Gray won't be forgotten, and neither will she."

Wendy nodded slowly. There was no trace of dread or fear in her eyes, only determination. Natsu had never been more proud of her, and he pulled her in for a tight hug. "More than healing, right now Juvia needs to know that she's part of the family," Natsu said in her ear. "She needs to feel Fairy Tail's love. No one I know can do that better than you, Wendy."

"You just remember your promise to me, and that you can't keep it if you get killed," Wendy told him softly.

Natsu grinned. "I can't die yet. Too much to do first." He raised his head and looked at the others. "You guys go ahead. There's something I need to tell Lisanna in private."

Once the others had left, Lisanna wiped her face on her arm and clutched Natsu's hand tightly. "I'm done crying," she muttered. "What do you need me to do?"

"I don't have any orders for you, if that's what you mean," Natsu replied. "But there is something I want to say."

"You're thinking if you had officially become Master earlier, you might have been able to stop this," Lisanna said, frowning at him.

Natsu sighed. "Am I that easy to read?"

"You are to me," Lisanna answered. "You can't think like that, Natsu."

"All that matters is what I do now. And right now, I'm not going to sit on the sidelines anymore. This will be my first mission as Fairy Tail's Fourth Master." He squeezed her hand. "And no matter what happens, when I come back, I'm asking you to marry me again, so consider yourself warned."

"You WHAT?" Lisanna cried. "But Mira-"

"If she's the only reason you'd say no now, that's even more reason for me to ask," Natsu said sharply.

She gave him a teary smile. "But I didn't actually say no this time, did I?"

"You didn't," Natsu agreed, slipping his arms around her waist. "And if you don't hurry up, a guy might start to think you aren't going to say it."

"I wouldn't want you to get the wrong impression," Lisanna murmured, pressing her face into his neck. "But what are we going to do about Mira?"

"If she wants a fight, I'll give her one. And if she needs to beat me half to death to see that I'm serious, that's what she'll have to do. But I don't think that's what she's looking for. At least, I _really_ hope not. She wants to know that I'm in it for the long haul, and I think I finally have a way to show her that now. I just need about five minutes, and your trust."

Lisanna gave him a curious look. "Okay. What are you going to do?"

Natsu smiled at her. "I need access to your guild mark. But you have to trust that I won't take things any further than what is absolutely necessary to get this done."

She considered for a moment, since they both knew that her guild mark was located on her left outer thigh. "Well," Lisanna said at last, "as long as we're both enjoying it, I can be pretty flexible on what's absolutely necessary. But for future reference, if you want to play around down there, I hope you plan to make it last much longer than five minutes. But how is anything you do to my guild mark going to convince Mira?"

"Just leave it to me," Natsu told her confidently.

* * *

><p>While Doranbolt didn't mind showing them the site of the attack, he did insist that they not tell anyone that he did so. Apparently, he was actually supposed to be following up some leads on the rogue Fire Dragon Slayer's background, not informing Fairy Tail of their team's fate. Though it was difficult to piece together, since there were so few witness either left or willing to come forward with information. He had really only been able to give them a few concrete facts.<p>

"Her name is Flare Corona, and she travels with a black cat named Whitestar. She is singlehandedly responsible for destroying the dark guild Raven Tail. We originally thought her attacks were random, but from what Juvia told us, that isn't true. She was looking for Gray all this time. She wanted revenge on him. Flare thought Gray was responsible for the massacre of Sun Village."

That much, Natsu understood. If Flare had seen Sun Village frozen over, then an ice mage was the most likely culprit. But Gray could never have done such a thing to innocents. He didn't even _have_ enough power to freeze an entire village without some major help. Still, it was curious that only Flare and Warrod had seen the village while it was frozen. And since Warrod hadn't been responsible for the crater where the village once stood, perhaps Flare had. Perhaps it had been her way of giving the villagers a burial. All Natsu really cared about was that Flare had killed Gray over something he couldn't have done.

But then something Doranbolt had said clicked in Natsu's mind. "How do you know there was a massacre in Sun Village? Did you find the bodies?"

Doranbolt shook his head. "Like you, we've only seen the crater. Flare was the one who called it a massacre. We still have no real evidence that the villagers ever died. Depending on the type of ice magic used, they either could have been preserved for years, or died within a few hours. Flare's claim would point to the latter, but she isn't exactly a reliable witness. Nearly everyone we talked to said she looked highly unstable and extremely aggressive. In fact, due to a lack of evidence, and in light of recent events, she's our main suspect in the case of Sun Village. So if you do find her, you might want to tell her that. Perhaps that would convince her to share what she knows, or what she thinks she knows."

"The Magic Council never questioned Gray about this," Natsu noted. "Why is that?"

Doranbolt glared at him. "Don't insult me. The Council may have a dim view of Fairy Tail overall, but at worst you're considered hooligans, not murderers. No one in your guild could ever do something like this." He paused and sighed. "I just wish Flare had known that. Perhaps this injustice could have been prevented."

"Careful," Natsu warned him. "You're sounding more and more like a Fairy Tail mage. Next thing you know, you'll wake up with a guild stamp."

"You wish." Doranbolt shook his head. "I regret that this is all the help I can give you. Don't get me wrong, Flare is a wanted criminal and we need her brought to justice for this and numerous other crimes. But at this point, I believe you may be the only one who can stop her, Natsu. So I'm putting my faith in you again. If you really want to prove that you're on the side of angels, you'll never get a better chance."

"Angels are boring, they're good all the time," Natsu answered. "Fairies are good, too, but they like to stir up trouble to keep things interesting. We wouldn't want you and your pals to get bored."

* * *

><p>Doranbolt had said that Flare Corona was most likely not entirely sane. Her actions, while seemingly random, clearly followed some deeper purpose known only to her. She may have been impulsive, extremely violent, and possibly even prone to berserker rages... but she was no fool.<p>

So when Natsu, Mirajane, and Elfman spotted a pillar of fire in the distance, extending clear into the clouds, they did not view it as Flare foolishly announcing her presence. They chose to view it as a killer making a statement of challenge, and possibly hoping for more victims.

"No more victims," Natsu swore to his two guildmates. "We try talking first. If she's not interested, then neither are we."

"But if we can prove that Gray wasn't responsible for what happened to Sun Village, maybe she won't see us as a threat," Mirajane reminded him.

Natsu glared straight ahead. "She doesn't see us as a threat, Mira. If she did, she would have killed us on Tenrou Island. And she damn sure wouldn't have killed Gray, because that was the fastest way to start a fight with us. I don't think she sees anyone as a threat. But thinking someone is a threat and fighting just because you want to are two different things. And I think she wants a fight."

"You're right," said a voice in his ear. "I do want to fight."

The three mages turned to find that Flare had been immediately behind them. The very sight of her sent Natsu in a rage, but not for the most obvious reason. There was not a scratch on her, and the only hairs out of place were the ones Flare was currently twirling around her finger. She didn't look as if she'd been in a serious fight only the day before. She looked as if Gray's team hadn't been able to harm her at all. It should have worried him, but it only made him angrier.

"Whitestar said you would come," Flare murmured, gazing at each of them curiously. "That if I killed that man, Fairy Tail would respond at once. I wanted to kill him, anyway, so this is a nice bonus."

Mirajane grabbed Natsu's arm before he could respond, physically or otherwise. "Gray wasn't responsible for the attack on Sun Village," Mirajane stated. "He could never do something like that."

Flare tilted her head. "Not yet, anyway," she agreed. "But I didn't kill him because I thought he was guilty. I killed him because I knew who was." Flare turned to Natsu and grinned. "Natsu, you are the son of Igneel. You are his heir, and you bear his name with pride. That's right, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Natsu said slowly, wondering what her point was.

"It's the same for me and my father," Flare continued. "A child must live up to, and if possible, surpass their parent's expectations. And if the parent dies owing a debt, the child must pay it for them." Flare's smile became twisted, and her eyes bulged out of her head. "I know who did it. Silver Fullbuster, who was supposed to have died years ago, froze Sun Village, MY VILLAGE! But you can't kill a man that's already dead, and dead men aren't supposed to freeze villages! I tried to find him, but all I found was dead ends. But his scent lead me to his son. And since the father was too much of a coward to face me, maybe now he will, now that his son is dead like him! THAT'S why I killed Gray Fullbuster! Because he was man enough to face me in battle, and a good son pays for the sins of his father! But I could only kill Gray once, and that doesn't balance out for all the lives his father took. So what am I supposed to do? Who do I kill to make things equal? Maybe you three want to help the Fullbuster family settle up with me? A Dragon Slayer like Natsu is worth at least two lives, maybe more!"

Mirajane's grip on Natsu's arm tightened even more. "Why is there a crater where Sun Village used to stand?"

Tears sprang abruptly to Flare's eyes. "Atlas Flame, the Hellfire Dragon, was my father. It was his village, and he swore to protect it as long as he existed in any form. He asked me to become the village's next guardian, but I needed to master more magic before I could. And while I was away on my training journey, Silver came! When I got back, all I found was a village full of frozen corpses! It was my job to protect them, and I couldn't just leave them there for anyone to see! A true guardian has the strength to carry the village on their back! Father taught me that!"

"You're no guardian!" Natsu roared, lunging at her, only to be yanked back by Mirajane. "You're a murderer! Gray was innocent!"

"MY VILLAGE WAS INNOCENT!" Flare screamed, and suddenly her long, red hair seemed to quadruple in length, rising up behind her and writhing like excited snakes.

"Natsu, stop!" Mirajane cried. "We have to find out what she knows about Sun Village! We owe it to Gray!"

"We owe it to Gray to kill her!" Natsu roared, strugging against Mirajane's grip. "Nobody kills our friends and gets away with it, Mira! NOBODY!"

"Let him fight," Flare cooed, a mad giggle spilling past her lips. "If I can defeat Igneel's son, I'll be one step closer to my father's dream!" She raised her right hand, made a fist, and ignited it in a clear challenge. "Come, Natsu! Show me that Titanbreak's blood wasn't wasted on you! Or you will let Gray's killer go free?"

The final insult was too much. Fire exploded from every inch of Natsu's body, and Mirajane, not expecting it, was blown back by the sheer force. Howling in rage, Natsu took off like a rocket, launching himself directly at Flare, and they clashed in a flurry of burning fists. The exchange ended abruptly when one of Flare's punches caught Natsu beneath the chin, knocking his head back. While he was stunned, she followed with a vicious knee to the gut that doubled him over and caused him to fall to his knees.

"This won't do," Flare told him, looking annoyed. "You should accept that I'm far physically stronger than you. There's no getting around that fact. I was raised around giants, and to me their strength is the norm. Unless you attack me with your magic, there's no point."

While Natsu hated to accept her advice, he knew she was right. Hitting her was like punching Erza in full armor, except Erza had never struck him back with such fearsome power. Worse, Flare did not seem to be wearing any armor that might amplify her strength, and he could tell that she had added very little magic to her blows. In short, she wasn't actually trying yet. But then, neither was Natsu: he'd been too furious to use any of his standard attacks. It was abundantly clear already that he was going to need his strongest magic to get anywhere with Flare.

"Shut up!" Natsu shouted. "I don't need your help to beat you!"

Flare smiled at him. "I hope that's true. Because this is the last clue I'm giving you. In order to succeed my father as Sun Village's guardian, I have to master three specific types of magic. I'm only days away from mastering the third magic, and when that happens, I'll be as powerful as my father. So if you don't defeat me now, you never will, and you can only defeat me if you can fuse three types of magic as well. I haven't found any Dragon Slayer yet who can."

"I'm not just any Dragon Slayer! I'm Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel!"

"Then show me the power of Igneel!" Flare demanded. "Or will you shame the memories of both Gray and your father?"

"IGNEEL'S NOT DEAD!" Natsu roared, his body instantly shifting into Lightning Flame Dragon Mode. He had no idea why Flare wanted to fight so badly, but he also no longer cared why. She was deliberately insulting him now, and she was not about to walk away from a second fight with Fairy Tail unscathed. "I'm sick of your mouth," Natsu said, his right hand erupting into flames. "No more talking," he continued, lightning dancing across his left hand. "I'm taking you down, hard!" He slammed his hands together, then froze, shocked to find Flare's face inches from his own, grinning manically as she grabbed his wrists.

"You still don't understand that I'm on a higher level than you," she whispered. "So I'll prove it to you. Hit me at point-blank range, and then you'll see why it's hopeless."

Natsu glared at her. "DIE!" he shouted, pouring an enormous amount of magic into his fists. "Lightning Flame Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

Flare only laughed as a huge blast of fused flame and lightning slammed into her chest. If she felt it, she only showed it by laughing harder. Then, abruptly, her grip on Natsu's wrists tightened to the point of pain. "Let me show you the attack that killed Gray," she giggled, her eyes bulging. "Hellfire Dragon Devil's Spear!"

Natsu only had time to scream in agony as crimson flames shot from Flare's hands and struck him in the chest, piercing through it with ease and erupting out of his back. Blood rushed into his mouth, filled it, and gushed past his lips. Natsu felt himself starting to fall, but a renewed jolt of pain reminded him that Flare's spear was the only thing holding him up.

"I expected so much more from you," Flare sighed, sounding genuinely, deeply disappointed. "Maybe I need to kill more of your friends, to get you in the mood?" She grinned, showing far too many teeth. "Maybe I should show you what I did with Romeo?"

There had simply been no evidence available to suggest what, exactly, had happened to Romeo. Doranbolt had said as much, and Natsu had not even been able to detect any scents at the site, other than the overwhelming one of Flare herself. With nothing else to go on, the Magic Council had only been willing to list Romeo as missing. Perhaps not even they wanted to accept that someone so young had been murdered for no apparent reason. Natsu had clung to Juvia's survival as a sign that only Gray had been killed, and that Flare had no interest in causing more death. But Flare did not seem so stable now, and Romeo surely would not have stood back and watched his comrades die. No, he would have jumped in at once, no matter how overwhelming the opponent's strength.

The thought of Romeo, injured or dead at Flare's hands, was too much for Natsu to bear. He did not conciously form any attack: he only wanted to cause Flare as much pain as she had caused him, and so he threw virtually everything he had at her, ignoring the major wound in his chest.

Once again, Flare did not seem to be at all harmed... at first. Natsu's flaming fists didn't even phase her. Nor did they seem to have any impact when lightning began to crackle and jump between his fists. But when the flames became surrounded by black flames, Flare's mouth dropped on, and them Natsu drove his fist into it. Her head rocked back violently, and then Natsu was all over her, pummelling every inch of her that he could reach, totally unaware that the constant roar in his ears was coming from his own mouth.

Natsu had no idea how many times he hit her, how long he did so, or when one of his blows rendered Flare unconcious. It was not until either Mirajane or Elfman hit him, hard, from behind that he became aware of anything, really. But even when Natsu looked down at Flare's battered body, he was not satisfied. It was not enough, not for what she had done. He raised a fist, prepared to finish things.

"Natsu, stop," Mirajane said at once. It was a plea, but delivered as a command. Had Natsu turned around then, he was certain he would have been able to see some sign of her Satan Soul in her face. "We don't kill, and even if we did, we need more information from her."

Natsu could not deny that. If nothing else, he wanted to know if Romeo had really shared Gray's fate, or if he had somehow escaped, as Juvia had. Only Flare knew the answer, so they needed her alive. After that, though... she owed them at least one life, and Natsu intended to collect.

"Don't let her get away," Natsu stated. Then it was as if someone threw a blanket of pure exhaustion over him, and he collapsed under its weight, closed his eyes, and knew no more.

* * *

><p>The first thing Natsu saw when he woke up the next morning was the cave he was lying in. The second was the cat. It noticed him staring, but gave no sign of being intimidated, or even concerned.<p>

"If you move too much," the cat told him calmly, "you will weaken my ability to heal you. I do not usually heal two people at the same time, and I am finding it difficult."

"You're her cat," Natsu sneered.

The cat gave him a flat stare. "For the sake of this conversation, I suppose I must accept that as true, in the same way that you obviously belong to your comrades. They were very distressed when your condition was slow to improve, but I assured them that most people do not recover at all from Flare's attacks, so they should not expect even you to do so with any impressive amount of speed."

Natsu snorted and immediately winced. "I'll bet that calmed them down."

"The woman threatened me with dismemberment if I even thought about harming you." The cat looked faintly nostalgic. "It's been a long time since any woman threatened me with that."

"What's your name, cat?" Natsu asked, more because he didn't want to just keep calling it that, than out of any sense of decency.

"Whitestar," the cat replied. "I would not normally pose this question to a person in your condition, but based on what Flare has told me, I must-"

"She's awake?!" Natsu demanded.

Whitestar sighed. "Of course. She is my comrade, and so I focused the bulk of my healing magic on her. While I do not desire your death, you are virtually a stranger to me, and so I felt no need to rush your treatment as I did hers."

"Where is she?! And what the hell did she do to Romeo?!"

Whitestar rolled his eyes. "You will reopen your wounds if you fail to calm down. Do that, and I will suspend your treatment, as there would be little point in me healing you."

Growling, Natsu tried to make a grab for the cat, only to suddenly find his entire body restrained by an alarming amount of red hair. Flare's red hair, he quickly realized, his wariness growing accordingly. He wasn't sure how she'd snuck up on him, not until his surroundings began to move.

What he'd thought was a cave, was actually an enormous amount of Flare's hair, fashioned into a cocoon with one open end. The sheer amount of magical power required to pull that off had to be staggering, especially after the beating he'd given her, and Natsu could not even begin to guess how she'd managed it. No Dragon Slayer he'd ever encountered had that short a recovery period, followed by such substantial magic use. It was what finally made him accept that Flare truly was on a higher level, and now he knew the reason.

She was a monster.

"Whatever it takes, I won't die before I kill you!" Natsu growled, struggling against the hair restraints.

A particularly large clump of hair rose in front of him, and Flare slowly emerged from it. There was a blank expression on her face, and her eyes showed no recognition as they swept past Natsu and focused on Whitestar.

"Not too tightly, Flare," Whitestar instructed. "You don't want to make his wounds worse. That would only be more work for me."

Flare gave no sign that she had heard or understood, but Natsu did feel the hair binding him loosen the slightest bit. He decided to take that as a good sign. If Flare started ignoring her cat, then he would worry.

"I know you will have an extremely difficult time accepting this, but I will say it all the same," Whitestar said, turning back to Natsu. "Flare is not your enemy. At least, that was never her intention. She knew that killing your friend would earn your wrath, but considered her desire for justice to be of greater importance. I will offer no apology: it was no accident, and given a second chance, she would behave no differently. I can only say that I regret Silver Fullbuster's cowardice. If he had owned up to his crime, and faced us like a man, his son would have been spared Flare's wrath. I urge you to save your hatred for him. He is the reason your friend is dead."

Natsu forced himself to swallow the angry retort on his lips. Whitestar had a point, but Flare had been the one who murdered Gray, whatever her reasoning. "I have... some questions," Natsu said at last.

Whitestar nodded. "I suspected as much, and I do wish to clear up any mistaken notions you may have about Flare. Please, ask your questions."

"Did she kill Romeo?"

"The boy lives and is largely unharmed," Whitestar replied. "I have been with Flare for years now, and even I cannot always tell what she is thinking right away. If I had to guess, she wishes to train an apprentice, and selected the boy for this honor, against his will. I can only tell you that Flare is extremely serious about those placed under her protection. But I suspect I don't have to tell you that at all."

"Why him?"

"Beyond his obvious talent in fire-based magic, I cannot say for sure. But I do not think that alone would have been enough. Perhaps this is Flare's way of trying to atone for her role in Gray's death. If the boy can learn what she has to teach, he will be an exceedingly powerful mage. I do not suggest that this can make up for what you have lost, only that Flare is, in her own way, attempting to make amends."

"If you're right about what she's thinking, you mean," Natsu added at once.

Whitestar frowned. "Yes," he agreed after a moment, "if I'm right."

"So you want me to forgive her? Just like that?"

"I do not think I am the best one to make that request. If you are not opposed, there is someone you should meet, who can explain Flare's mindset better than I can."

Natsu shook his head. "Who would know her better than her own cat?"

"Her father: Atlas Flame, the Hellfire Dragon. Before his passing, he gave Sun Village a spell to summon a small portion of his spirit in times of great need. With the village's destruction, Flare and I are the only ones who possess this magic. This may be your last chance to speak with a dragon in any form."

Natsu could tell that he was being manipulated, but he also couldn't pass up the chance to speak to a dragon. "I'll listen to whatever he has to say. But I don't think he'll be able to change my mind."

Whitestar closed his eyes and unleashed his wings. They were easily the largest wings Natsu had ever seen on an Exceed. Considering that Whitestar belonged to Flare, this was not really surprising.

"Sun Summoning: Eternal Guardian!" Whitestar cried.

Flare twitched violently, and then collapsed facedown into her own hair. Immediately after, all the hair that was closest to her body burst into flames, and yet it was not burning away. Instead, the hair seemed to feed the fire, which grew larger and larger until it towered over Natsu. Then a massive face in the fire opened its eyes and spoke.

"Son of Igneel," said the voice of Atlas Flame. "There is something I must say to you."

* * *

><p>"I don't trust that cat," Elfman grumbled, glaring at the hair cave that Flare had created.<p>

"Neither of us has magic suited for serious healing," Mirajane pointed out calmly. "It's something I've been meaning to change. But that was a serious wound Natsu suffered, and I'd rather have him treated right away. Besides, I know that Whitestar is powerful. He could have attacked us to keep us from interfering, but he didn't."

"That doesn't meant we should trust him with Natsu!" Elfman insisted.

"No, it doesn't," Mirajane agreed. "And if he does make Natsu worse in any way, he will regret it."

Roughly ten minutes later, Natsu slowly walked out of the hair cave. He was obviously not in peak condition, but that he was moving under his own power after what easily could have been a crippling or mortal wound was still very impressive. Both Mirajane and Elfman stood up to greet him, but stopped when they saw the look on his face.

Natsu was furious. It was quite clearly a contained fury for the moment, as he wasn't attacking or burning anything to ashes, but just barely contained for all that.

"Well," Natsu muttered, "I got my answers. Soon as Romeo shows up, we're leaving."

Mirajane and Elfman glanced at each other uncertainly, both wanting to protest but unsure as to how Natsu might react to that.

Natsu seemed to sense their distress. "We might as well talk about what I found out, while we wait. It turns out Atlas Flame and Igneel were old friends, so ideally, the same would have been true for me and Flare. Obviously, that's not happening anymore, but that is why she helped us defeat Titanbreak and covered me in his blood. She wanted to help me."

"Flare told you this?" Mirajane asked.

Natsu shook his head. "Nah. Her cat can summon part of Atlas Flame's soul, and he told me that." He balled his hands into fists. "He also asked me not to kill Flare, to return a favor that Igneel owed him."

Elfman frowned. "And you agreed to that?"

"I didn't want to," Natsu admitted. "But he told me why Flare is the way she is. He raised her to be Sun Village's guardian, to take over his duties. It was her reason for living. So when she lost the whole village the way she did, it slowly began to drive her mad."

"I suppose I can appreciate that," Mirajane murmured.

"It gets worse. When Flare talked about the guardian being strong enough to bear the whole village on their back... she wasn't just talking. There's actually a spell that allows her to do that. And that's why the village was missing. Flare picked it up, put it on her back, and has been carrying it this whole time. The spell shrinks it down and reduces the weight, of course, but... it's still a freaking _village_ full of iced-over dead giants, and she's had it on her back ever since. She had almost had to be nuts to even consider doing that."

"_Why_ did she do it?" Elfman asked, genuinely curious.

"Even though they were all dead, she still felt responsible for them. She couldn't just leave them. And she blamed herself for not being there to protect them, so she vowed never to leave them again. But she still needed to complete her training, so she couldn't just stay there."

Mirajane shook her head slowly. "But that's..."

"Crazy?" Natsu offered softly. "Yeah, well, I'm starting to think that it was only a matter of time, no matter what she did. And don't get me wrong, I still blame her for what she did to Gray and Juvia, and I always will, but... I can't find it in me to kill her anymore. I'm not so sure that Gray could have done it, either. If he could, it would mean that he was no better than his old man, who caused all of this. And I can't accept that. Killing some sick girl who has suffered enough as it is... it doesn't feel right."

"Then why are you so upset?" Mirajane asked gently.

"Because I don't know what I'm going to say to everyone who expected me to avenge Gray."

"You defeated her, and she's no longer a threat to Fairy Tail. That would have been enough for Gray," Elfman replied. "It'll be enough for everyone else."

"Not Juvia," Natsu whispered.

Elfman had no response to that, and indeed, there was nothing to say.

Three hours passed before Romeo showed up, hauling a large sack over his shoulder. He froze upon spotting them, and instead of looking happy, he looked worried.

"It's good to see you alive, Romeo," Mirajane said. "We were all very worried about you."

Romeo flinched and looked away. "Sorry, Mira. Everything happened so fast, and there was no time to-"

"Why do you smell like blood?" Natsu demanded, stomping over to him.

Romeo tried to back away, but Natsu grabbed his shirt and ripped it in two, exposing the crest of Sun Village that had been burned into the majority of Romeo's chest.

"I won't kill her, but she'll wish I had when I'm done with her," Natsu snarled.

"NO!" Romeo shouted, grabbing his arm. "You don't understand! She's not-"

"No, you don't understand! She got one pass with us! Now, she officially owes the guild a debt, and she's about to start paying it back! Her being nuts is no longer a valid excuse for hurting our friends! It stops here and now!"

"But she wasn't trying to hurt me just because she could!" Romeo cried. "This is part of my training!"

"Is that the line she fed you?"

"It's true! Once she steps down, I'll be the next guardian of Sun Village!"

"How you gonna guard a dead village?!" Natsu snapped.

"The same way you came here to avenge a dead friend: WITH ALL MY MIGHT!" Romeo shouted in his face.

Natsu recoiled, more startled than angry.

"I know what she's done," Romeo said softly, lowering his head. "But she isn't a terrible person! She just doesn't understand! She was raised by giants and a dragon, and she has no idea how to interact with the human world. I can teach her that, I know I can! I can make her understand why she should regret killing Gray and hurting Juvia. Because if I don't take the time, no one ever will, and she'll only become more of a problem than she is right now!"

Mirajane laughed softly. "But, Romeo... if what you say is true, then that means that Flare _is_ a terrible person. Not because of what she's done, but because she was never taught how to be a decent one. And that much, at least, is not her fault. If she can learn from you while you learn from her, perhaps this is a good thing."

"We can't just leave him with her!" Natsu cried.

"We can't just leave her without him," Mirajane pointed out. "Without anyone to guide her, who knows what she could do next? If Romeo can influence her at all, this may be a blessing in disguise."

"But we can't trust her with him!"

Romeo stepped forward. "It's not about trusting Flare, Natsu. It's about trusting me. I'm telling you that I can do this. And if I'm wrong, if I can't teach Flare right from wrong, then I'll at least make sure she never harms anyone else. Whatever it takes, she won't be a threat to Fairy Tail anymore. I swear it!"

Natsu grabbed Romeo by the shirt and yanked him close. "And what am I supposed to tell your old man, when I come back without you? You ever think about that, huh?!"

Romeo glared at him. "You tell him that when I come back, I'll have mastered my fire magic, surpassed him, and I'll have beaten 40 monsters to his 19. That's what you tell him... Master."

Natsu frowned and slowly released Romeo. "Fine. Then from now on, she's your responsibility. If she goes overboard again, it's on your head. But I'm holding you to that promise, Romeo. She won't bring any further harm to the guild, or its name. And that goes for you, too." Natsu slapped Romeo hard on the shoulder, and when he pulled his hand away, the guild mark there had turned black.

"What did you do?" Romeo asked softly.

"So long as you have that guild stamp, you'll be a member of Fairy Tail. But if Flare does anything to damage the guild, that stamp will vanish forever. I will deny any knowledge of you being a member of Fairy Tail, and you two will suffer the consequences alone. Macao might help you, but if he does, he'll do it as a former member of Fairy Tail. Do you understand me, Romeo?"

Romeo swallowed hard and nodded. "I understand, Master. And I will always be a member of Fairy Tail. I promise you that, too."

"We'll see," Natsu said, turning away from him.

* * *

><p>Though Natsu had said they would leave the moment Romeo returned, this proved to be false. For some reason, Natsu went back into the hair cave, and just so he couldn't be accused of doing anything underhanded, took Mirajane in with him. This left Elfman and Romeo outside with nothing to do. Nothing they could think of discussing was worth mentioning aloud, Romeo didn't especially want to talk, and Elfman wasn't entirely convinced that Romeo was thinking clearly.<p>

Finally, Romeo raised his head. "Um, thanks. For coming after me. You guys didn't have to do that."

Elfman stared at him. "Did you forget who Natsu is? He's the one who tracked down your father when no one else would. He's the one who will never give up on finding Lucy. So if you think for one second that he wouldn't search this whole world for you, you don't know him at all."

Ten minutes later, Natsu and Mirajane walked out of the cave, followed at a distance by Flare, who now had a black Fairy Tail stamp on her forehead.

Romeo was instantly on his feet. "What did you do to her?!" he demanded.

"Same thing I did to you, only with more hitting involved," Natsu replied, not the least bit sorry. "Not that she even felt it, but it made me feel better."

Glaring at him, Romeo moved to Flare's side, producing an odd-smelling yellow flame from his hand. Flare's eyes glazed over, and she instantly curled up at Romeo's feet, murmuring softly to herself and repeatedly running her fingers through her hair.

"That's... effective," Mirajane noted.

"It smells weird to anyone else, but she says it smells like home," Romeo explained. "I've never heard of anyone else who can produce a flame like this. I think it's a sign that I was supposed to meet her. I just wish... it hadn't come at such a high price."

"Just keep her leashed, and the price will be worth it," Natsu replied.

Romeo looked at him and frowned. "Even I can tell you don't really mean that."

"No, but it sounded good in my head," Natsu admitted. "Like something a Master would say."

"Not the kind of Master you're meant to be," Romeo disagreed. "You should be honest."

"I already told you how I feel about her."

"Then there's nothing left to say." Romeo hesitated, then offered his hand. "I won't fail."

Natsu grabbed his hand. "See that you don't. We've lost too much family as it is."

* * *

><p>They were only a few feet from the guild when Natsu stopped abruptly. "Mira? Elfman? There's something I need to tell you before we go in."<p>

"What is it, Natsu?" Mirajane asked.

"Before we left the guild, I made a promise to Lisanna."

Mirajane frowned at him. "You promised to marry her when you got back, didn't you?"

"I promised to ask her then, yes."

"And you intend to go through with it, no matter what I say?"

"I think the better question is, do you really want me to break a promise to Lisanna? One that she happily agreed with?"

"I never said I would enjoy standing in your way, Natsu," Mirajane pointed out. "I only said that I would do it. Nothing has changed."

"Except that everything has, Mira. Gray's dead, Juvia might never be the same, I as good as banished Romeo from the guild, I haven't kept my promises to Wendy and Mavis, and on top of everything, you'd rather I be Fairy Tail's Master than your brother-in-law. You do remember that the old man died doing this, right? I don't plan to die, but I'm sure he didn't, either. And if I were to die before I could marry-"

"Stop. Talking." Mirajane said the words through gritted teeth, and Natsu wisely obeyed. "You... how dare you... even suggest that I..."

Elfman frowned at Natsu. "You have insulted my sister's honor. As your comrade, your Ace, and your future sister-in-law. To even imply that she would allow you to die before your time had come is a nearly unforgivable insult. If you are a man, apologize to her right now."

Natsu took a deep breath and released it. "I love you, Mira. I love your family. But I love Lisanna more. I'll still love you if you never speak to me again, or if you beat me within an inch of my life. I'm sure Lisanna will still love you, too, if it comes to that. But I've allowed you to keep me from my destiny long enough. I'm marrying Lisanna, and I hope that you'll both agree to be a part of it. But if not, I'll understand. I don't think Lisanna will, though."

"And that's all you have to say?" Mirajane murmured, narrowing her eyes.

Natsu stared at her for a long moment. "If you truly believe that I can't handle being married to Lisanna, then don't come to the wedding. I'll get the message, loud and clear. So long as Lisanna believes we can make it, that's all I need." He turned away from them. "I'm going to announce it to the guild now. If you want to talk to me after, that's fine. If not... that's fine, too. But for Lisanna's sake, I hope you can at least pretend to be happy while I do this." With that, he walked into the guild hall.

Mirajane didn't move.

"Sis," Elfman said, lightly touching her elbow. "We have to go in now. For Lisanna. After that, you can talk to Natsu."

"And you, Elfman?" she asked. "What will you do?"

"You're not wrong," he assured her. "And I won't forgive him until he apologizes for insulting your honor. But we lost Lisanna once. You know that we can't do it again. Neither of us is strong enough. So tonight, I'm going to smile for her, and tell her that I'm happy for her. It won't be a lie. It just won't be the whole truth."

Mirajane smiled sadly and reached over to squeeze his hand. "You're a great brother, Elfman."

He smiled back and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "I had an even greater sister to teach me. It wasn't hard."

Hand-in-hand, they stepped forward and into the guild hall, just in time for a huge round of cheers. Lisanna was in the center of it all, blushing happily and clinging to Natsu as if she'd never let go. Mirajane's gaze lingered on her sister's face, and then zeroed in on her exposed guild stamp. Where it had once been entirely white, it was now red with white sparkles along the tail. And Natsu's was exactly the same.

It was as good a sign as any that they were married already.

"You can't kill him," Elfman said quickly, realizing the symbolism as soon as she had.

"You'd be surprised what a Dragon Slayer can live through, though," Mirajane replied angrily.

* * *

><p>"We need to talk," Mirajane hissed two hours later.<p>

Natsu was not surprised that she had cornered him upstairs, where only S-rank mages were allowed. He had needed a break from the endless congratulations on his engagement. That, and he'd wanted to provide Mirajane with the opportunity to approach him in private. "Okay. But you'll have to talk as we walk. I have some guild business to take care of, and it can't wait."

Mirajane blinked, clearly not prepared for that answer.

Natsu walked over to a bookcase and selected a book. It was a photo album, and for some unknown reason, one of the pictures had been taped to the front. It was a photo of Makarov at the beach, seconds after someone had pantsed him, thus leaving him forever frozen in the act of trying to simultaneously cover his body and yank up his swimming trunks. How successful the venture had been was open to debate, but that absolutely no one would to flip through the photo album after that was a given. In all likelihood, they would quickly place the photo album back on the shelf and leave in a hurry.

So they probably would not notice the hidden switch on the bookcase that the photo album had covered up.

Natsu flipped the switch, and Mirajane gasped as the wall slid away, revealing a winding staircase.

"How long has that been there?" she asked.

"It's actually pretty new. The other entrance wasn't quite as well hidden, and I thought I might have to bring you down here eventually. Laxus was against it, but I think that was more because he was there when the photo was taken. Can't forget it no matter how much he wants to."

"What's down there, Natsu?"

"Technically, you shouldn't know that unless you're in line to be Master one day. On the other hand, technically you have been Master, or at least a very good stand-in, for a while now. And I think it's time you knew some things. Especially if your not knowing might tear your family apart."

"You said this was guild business, not family business."

"It's both, for me." Natsu shook his head and offered her his hand. "Just come with me, please? It'll make sense once you see it, I promise."

"I don't know if I should. I'm mad at you. So unless you're ordering me to go down there, I think I'd rather talk right here."

Natsu groaned in frustration. "Mira, I don't want to have to order you. I want you to come with me because you deserve to know, and I'm sure that the only reason Mavis didn't show you was because she knew I would one day."

"And does whatever I have to see have anything to do with your engagement?"

"Yeah, actually. But you're the only one in your family that's qualified to know, at the moment, and one of you has to know. I don't feel right keeping it from you all, least of all you. I think at least three people in the guild should know about it: the Master, the future Master, and the Ace. You're the only one left, and you should have been the first to be told, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe Mavis didn't show you because you weren't interested in being Master, or because she ran out of time. But you need to know, Mira. If anything were to happen to me, Laxus is the only one who could show you, and I don't know that he would feel the need like I do. So for the shared future of your family and Fairy Tail, I need you to come with me now."

Mirajane still wasn't satisfied, but she gave Natsu her hand and allowed him to lead her down the staircase. It turned out to be a very short trip: the stairs led to an underground chamber that began to glow with a soft, golden light the moment they set foot into it. Mirajane's eyes were drawn to a massive set of doors up ahead, but Natsu released her hand and stomped over to the left side of the chamber.

"Hey, you're supposed to stay inside!" he snapped. "How many times do I have to say that? What if someone saw you wandering around out here?"

At first, Mirajane thought Natsu had lost his mind, but then she realized that the soft light in the chamber was coming from a person, who was currently half-hidden behind a large barrel. Mirajane was only able to make out white hair and a bright eye before the person, obviously a child from the small size, ducked back into hiding.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Come on, we don't have all day. It's time you met Mira."

After a short pause, the child stepped into view, and Mirajane froze in shock. "Lisanna?" she breathed, taking a step back. For the child looked a great deal like her younger sister once had.

Natsu grinned. "Nope, but that was my first impression, too. Keep looking, you'll figure it out."

And Mirajane did, rather quickly. The little girl before her was notably chubbier than Lisanna had been, but only because Lisanna had been rail-thin as a child. Also, her hair was not pure white, but had the faintest hints of pink dusting the roots. The most obvious difference was the eyes, however: they were not the eyes of any child that Mirajane had ever seen. They were eyes of a supremely powerful magical entity, who had about as much business being in a child's body as Elfman did in the annual Miss Fairy Tail contest.

"Who is that?" Mirajane whispered.

"She didn't have a proper nickname, so I've just been calling her Lumie." Natsu held out his hand, and the girl eventually wandered over, clinging to his leg while he ruffled her hair. "As for who she is, did Mavis ever tell you about Lumen Histoire?"

"She only said I would know when I needed to."

Natsu tapped Lumie on the head. She glanced up at him, then stared straight at Mirajane. "I am a living history of Fairy Tail's adventures, and the embodiment of your bonds of friendship. I was entrusted with the task of collecting Fairy Tail's stories by Master Mavis Vermillion. Each new member of Fairy Tail is given a small portion of my power, which allows me to experience their journeys as if I were there with them. In return, in times of great need, I am able to lend my power to protect them, up to a point."

Mirajane was about to ask what Lumie meant, until her gaze was drawn by Natsu's guild stamp. "You mean... the guild stamp is... her?"

"A small portion of her, but yes," Natsu explained. "Before you ask, she is spying on us, but for a good reason. I wasn't okay with it, at first. But now I see the benefits. Lumie can basically go anywhere a guild stamp goes. Which has a lot more implications than you might first think." Natsu grinned at her. "Acnologia has a guild stamp."

"What?!" Mirajane cried in shock.

"Okay, technically he has a scar shaped _like_ a guild stamp, but it still counts! Lumie can track him! And that's not all! She can even see the Fairy Tail in Edolas!"

"Then... Lucy?" Mirajane asked hopefully.

Natsu's grin faded. "No. Not directly, anyway. Someone removed Lucy's guild stamp. But you can't completely remove Lumie's magic unless you know how to. And only a Master would know. So I've been working on a way to restore Lucy's guild stamp."

"Don't you have to know where she is first?"

"Yes, unless I just flood the spell with power and restore every guild stamp that was ever removed. But that might create a few problems. What really matters is that I've been working with Lumie to fine-tune the guild stamp. In a way, her magic is a lot like my Blood Rune Art. They're even compatible."

"This is how you changed Lisanna's guild stamp?" Mirajane guessed.

"Lumie's been a great help. You wouldn't believe how much magic she remembers. A few hours studying with her could open anyone's eyes."

"Why does she look so much like Lisanna?"

"The way Mavis explained it to me, Lumie changes shape from time to time, depending on the current Master and how they themselves change. Personally, I think she represents the Master's greatest challenge at the time. She didn't always look like this for me, you know."

"But that doesn't explain why she looks this way now, or who she is," Mirajane noted.

Natsu stared at her. "I think you know exactly who she is, Mira. Or who she could be, if you weren't standing in my way. She's the child I could have with Lisanna."

"That is merely one possibility that may explain my current form," Lumie said at once. "I could just as easily represent a union between the two of you. Even I cannot say what determines my shape. Only Master Mavis, as my creator, knows that."

"So I'm just supposed to stand aside because of Lumie?" Mirajane asked.

"No. You should do it because she's right: she's just a possibility. My child with Lisanna might turn out to be entirely different from her. But that's even more reason not to stop us, Mira. I want to meet that child. And I know you do, too."

"And what if there isn't a child?" Mirajane added. "What if... something awful happens, and there are no children?"

"That's possible, too," Natsu agreed slowly. "But we'll never know unless we try. And now that I've seen Lumie in this form, I think the potential reward is worth the risk. I can't go back to a time when I didn't know about her, and I can't turn my back on my daughter just because she doesn't exist yet. If I have to fight you for her, I will. She deserves a chance, Mira, and I'm going to give it to her, no matter what."

"And Lisanna doesn't know?"

Natsu shook his head. "That wouldn't be fair. If we were already married, that would be different. I couldn't hide something like this from my wife. But I would never pressure Lisanna into marrying me beacuse of this. At the same time, I can't deny that this is part of the reason I'm so eager to get married." He paused and ran his fingers gently through Lumie's hair, an enraptured expression on his face.

Mirajane knew then that there was no chance of talking Natsu out of his decision, or forcing him to change his mind. He was in love with the idea of that beautiful little girl, and now that he knew she was possible, he could not help but dream of bringing her into the world. And she could not blame him for it, because Mirajane wanted to meet that child as well.

"I... can I hold her?" Mirajane asked at last, her voice trembling.

Natsu said nothing, but Lumie slowly stepped forward, with all the uncertainty any child might display upon meeting an unfamiliar relative for the first time. Yet she offered no resistance when Mirajane touched her, and returned the embrace with no prompting or visible discomfort.

"I cannot speak for one who does not yet exist," Lumie said, staring at Mirajane. "And yet, for some reason, I believe this person whose form I have borrowed, desires to meet you, as well. I think her story is one worth telling again and again, and I look forward to safeguarding it with all the others."

Natsu placed his hand on Mirajane's shoulder. "I am sorry I offended you earlier, Mira. That wasn't my intention at all, and I hope you can believe that. I just... I need her. And I think Lisanna will, too. I can't let anyone prevent... her."

"Promise me," Mirajane whispered. "Promise me that, no matter what, that child will always have a happy story, Natsu. If you can do that, then... you have my blessing to marry Lisanna."

Natsu smiled. "I'd like to promise that, Mira. But the only way I can, is if I know her Auntie Mira will be part of her story."

* * *

><p>Yukino had been a mess the first time she encountered anyone from Fairy Tail. Her exit from her former guild had not been a pleasant one. She had not even been allowed to leave with the clothes on her back, and all of her possessions, save for her keys, had been destroyed. And Yukino strongly suspected that if it were not for all of her Spirits emerging on their own to protect her, things would have gone far worse. Libra had brought some clothing from the Spirit Realm, so at least Yukino didn't have to parade the streets naked, but that hardly mattered when the entire guild had seen her shameful exit.<p>

She had wandered the streets of Magnolia for two days with no real destination in mind, still in a state of shock. It had been so hard to accept that Sabertooth, the guild she had idolized, had turned its back on her for a single loss. Not one member had spoken up for her, although she had certainly seen the tears in little Frosch's eyes, and Rogue hadn't been able to meet her gaze at all.

Lisanna had found her digging through the trash for food. Perhaps Yukino should have felt ashamed, but she had left her shame in Sabertooth, and it was hard to feel anything else other than hunger at the time. Without a word, Lisanna had taken Yukino by the hand and brought her to Fairy Tail. Within an hour, Yukino found herself with a full stomach, a pile of gently-used clothing, and still warm from her hot bath.

And they hadn't even asked her to join the guild yet.

She hadn't known that strangers could be so kind. She hadn't known that any guild could be so inviting. And until she met the mages of Fairy Tail, she hadn't realized that Sabertooth had never truly been her home. That was a feeling that had only come upon Yukino the moment she set foot in Fairy Tail. When she'd still been nothing more than a stranger to them. How could she belong there when they didn't even know her?

For that matter, how could she have been in Sabertooth so long without realizing that she didn't belong there, either?

When Yukino offered to work off the cost of the food and the clothing, Mirajane had mysteriously forgotten to start a tab for her, and suddenly no one could recall who donated the clothing, so there was no one to pay back. It took a while, but Yukino finally realized that they didn't want to be paid back, so there was no debt, and she was only providing them with plenty of amusement by insisting. Embarrassed, she had tried to leave.

She had just made it to the door when Lisanna said it. "We'll see you when you get back, Yukino."

"What do you mean?" Yukino had asked. "Why would I come back?"

"Because you're already home, silly." And she had been right on both counts.

By the time Natsu met Yukino, she had been stamped for a week and working at the bar for nearly that long. He didn't ask who she was. In fact, he had mistaken her for Lisanna, and pulled her into his lap before realizing that he had no idea who she was. Lisanna hadn't strangled him only because Happy made the same mistake, landing on Yukino's head before deciding that she smelled different. Actually, he decided that she smelled like fish and wouldn't leave her head for the rest of the day.

For his part, Natsu maintained that being mistaken for Lisanna was a huge compliment. Yukino inwardly agreed. Lisanna had confided in her that part of the reason she'd brought Yukino home was because she had once been in a comparable state herself. Yukino did not doubt this: behind Lisanna's kind eyes was the look of someone who had found herself alone and far from home. It was part of why Yukino had not thought twice about moving in with Lisanna. It was far too much like having a sister again, a feeling that Yukino had desperately missed. Only Lisanna ended up being part of a package deal. Mirajane was no real problem, Yukino found her to be charming and very wise. Elfman took some getting used to, as he reminded her a great deal of her former guildmate Orga and it was painful to think about him. But once Elfman had proved his worth by scaring off any unwanted suitors, Yukino relaxed around him as well.

Yukino was content to work at the bar her first few weeks in the guild. She was not at all eager to return to missions, and like most of the waitresses, her cuteness earned her plenty of tips, so money was not a major concern. Even after she heard stories about how several members had failed mission after mission in spectacular fashion, Yukino was still reluctant to make herself vulnerable again. She did not believe Fairy Tail would turn on her as Sabretooth had, but just the thought of failing again terrified her all the same. Mirajane had intervened, assigning Yukino exclusively what she claimed were easy missions. Technically, they were. It was just that the missions consisted of things like giving everyone in the guild a hug, going for walks with Happy, collecting Gray's abandoned clothing, or using Libra's power to end daily brawls by pinning everyone to the ground until things calmed down. Before long, Yukino was ready to take on a "real" mission just so she would never have to do an easy one ever again.

And on her first try, she succeeded. It was an odd sensation, to emerge victorious where she had fully expected to fail. She was too cautious to be happy about it, but it was impossible to pass it off as luck when the next few missions ended the same way. She was blossoming in Fairy Tail, despite all of her worries, and no one else seemed surprised. In fact, it was impossible for her to join even a semi-permanent team: she was extremely popular and everyone wanted to work with her. Being wanted to that degree was something she'd never experienced before. And it made her more certain than ever that Fairy Tail would always be her home.

By then, she had stopped looking for signs that she was welcome. But they never really seemed to stop, anyway.

On the day that Natsu married Lisanna, he made several surprising announcements.

First, he pledged to never abandon his newly formed family, and upgraded the guild stamps of Mirajane and Elfman to match his new one.

Second, he officially adopted Wendy as his sister, presented her with a legal document that declared her to be Wendy Marvell Dragneel, and also customized her guild stamp as well.

Third, he presented Yukino with a similar document, inviting her to officially join the family if she so desired. Yukino signed it without hesitation, though in slight disbelief.

Finally, Natsu revealed that he had a massive house built in secret for his new family. There were easily enough bedrooms for everyone to have their own, but it didn't quite work out that way. Natsu and Lisanna got the master bedroom. Mirajane invited Yukino to stay in her room, but Yukino ultimately moved in with Wendy, who she felt she had more in common with. Elfman, to everyone's shock, moved into a nearby apartment with Evergreen. Though it was clear they were welcome in Natsu's home, apparently Elfman refused because Evergreen was a rather vocal lover. Also, it was implied that Evergreen refused to become a Dragneel unless it was on her terms, or in other words, whenever Elfman finally convinced her to marry him. There was a pretty large betting pool among the guild that they'd likely have three kids before Evergreen said yes.

That night, under a new roof, and with a new sister sleeping a few feet away, Yukino made herself a promise: she would not lose this family, no matter what.

* * *

><p>Natsu was not aware that marriage was, at least sometimes, a battle of wills. On the day his daughter was born, he lost all of the battles. There was simply no comeback for, "I just gave birth to our baby, what have you done today?" Not that there were very many fights that day, beyond the big one: Lisanna, screaming at the top of her lungs that she would become a Fire Dragon Slayer Slayer, just so she could properly kill Natsu for putting her through such torture.<p>

Having seen a few births, Mirajane assured Natsu that this was normal behavior during childbirth. And Lisanna had gone back to her normal, sweet self afterwards. Sort of. But from that moment on, there had been a... well, a _fire_ in her that he'd never seen before. A rigid certainty that, if it came down to it, she could take Natsu in a fistfight, either because he'd let her, or because she'd be just that mad and scary.

Worse, Natsu knew it, too. Even agreed with it, though he never said it aloud. And from then on, Lisanna seemed to win the majority of their disagreements, a power she was in no mood to restrain immediately after giving birth.

"We agreed that if we had a girl, I'd get to name her," Lisanna said, giggling softly as the baby in her arms grunted, still half-asleep. "I've decided. I want to name her after Lucy."

Natsu froze. Despite the fact that his wife was still weakened and confined to bedrest for at least the next month, he could not recall ever being more afraid of anything she'd done. "Lisanna... you know you don't have to do that."

"I know." Lisanna looked him in the eye. "But I thought about this a lot. And I realized that Lucy isn't something I should be afraid of anymore. She's our friend, she's part of our guild, and things haven't been the same since we lost her. I think... I think we need a Lucy around. Definitely until we get the original back, anyway."

"Okay, I get that, but isn't it still very weird to name our kid after her? Why not name her after Mira? Or you! We can call her Lisanna Junior!"

Lisanna glared at him. "Don't make me take away your voting rights, Natsu. Her name is Lucy. I've decided."

"What about a compromise? Lisanna Lucy Dragneel! That's just as good, right?"

"Why are you so against my idea, huh?" Lisanna demanded. "If I'm not scared of Lucy, and you shouldn't be, either! It's not like she's the Edolas Lucy, so there's no reason to be afraid!"

"I know you think Lucy will be touched that we did this," Natsu explained. "But what if it's the opposite? What if she's upset? What if she feels like we're trying to replace her? You wouldn't want that. Or..." Natsu hesitated, knowing he was about to cross a line. "What if she wishes our Lucy was hers instead of yours?"

Lisanna bit her lip. "Our Lucy would never feel that way."

"She'd never _admit_ to feeling that way," Natsu corrected. "And she might feel that way because we have a kid at all. We shouldn't make it worse for her. I just don't think we should decide anything permanent until we know we have Lucy's blessing. Doesn't make much sense to name a kid after her if she hates us for it."

"Are you going to put up this much of a fight if I want to name our next child after Gray?"

"No. But I was going to suggest that, anyway. And you never had any romantic interest in Gray. You didn't need to, he stripped every chance he got, so you never had to imagine what he was packing."

Lisanna stuck her tongue out at him. "Just go get Erza for me. I promised she'd be the first one outside the family to hold the baby. But remind her: no armor allowed this time."

Natsu pouted. "So you want me to tell Erza to go somewhere without her armor? Seriously? You must be _really_ mad about that Gray thing."

"Just shut up and do it, idiot!" she snapped, sending Natsu scrambling out of the room.

The baby began to whimper, startled awake by the volume of Lisanna's voice.

"Sorry, sweetie," Lisanna apologized, gently kissing her daughter's forehead. "You were scared, huh? Mama just had to put Daddy in his place. Don't worry, I'll show you how to do it soon enough."

Though the baby in no way understood what her mother was saying, the soft tone soothed her, and the exhaustion of her birth caught up to her once again. In seconds, she had gone back to sleep.

Lisanna smiled and brushed another kiss against the baby's cheek. "We'll call you Lilu for short. Everyone can think it stands for Lisanna Lucy. But you and I will know the truth, my Little Lucy. And maybe we'll let Daddy in on the secret, if he's good. No chance of that, right?"

* * *

><p>When Natsu, Mirajane, and Elfman stepped onto Zeref's island, there were three hooded figures waiting for them. The middle one stepped forward and drew back her hood, revealing her face.<p>

"So you survived, Ultear," Natsu murmured.

"Yes." She closed her eyes. "Natsu. I was sorry to hear about Gray. I wish I could have done something, but I've been asleep for a very long time."

"Sure you're still not asleep? Because it looks like you three mean to stand in our way."

"We have our orders, and no one disobeys Zeref. No one who wishes to survive, at least."

"That works out great, actually," Natsu replied, cracking his knuckles. "See, we've got our orders, too. Lucy and Cana are coming home. Meredy, too, if she wants. We walked over you once, and we can do it again."

Ultear shook her head. "Allow me to give you some advice. Fairy Law won't be of any use to you here, Natsu."

"Even better. I had no intention of using it. Fairy Tail is different now, thanks in part to you guys taking Lucy. We've got something even better now: Dragneel's Law. Fairy Law comes with a warning and a countdown, and offers you plenty of chances to back down. Dragneel Law is a declaration that you've committed an unforgivable wrong against my family, and the only thing we're interested in is making you pay for it in pain. There's no countdown, no escape, and no end until there's nothing left for us to destroy." A shadow fell over his eyes, which were reduced to tiny pinpricks of crimson. "Let 'em out, sibs."

A red magic circle appeared around Natsu's feet, and instantly expanded to include his siblings.

There was no further warning: in the next moment, the trio was gone, and in their place stood three monsters.

"Figures," Bluenote grunted, drawing back his hood. "Idiot trains me to destroy fairies, and now they turn into dragons!"

"It makes no difference," Ultear stated, entirely unafraid. "They came here to die, and we will help them do that."

"They aren't true dragons," the third noted. "They've just learned to assume the shapes. But being something, and appearing to be something, are two very different things."

"You would know plenty about that, Obra," Ultear chuckled.

"I would, indeed," Obra giggled nastily. "Shall we play with them?"

* * *

><p>Romeo sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, only to find Flare staring aimlessly into space, one arm draped around Whitestar as he sat in her lap. This was not really unusual behavior for her, since so much of her normal behavior would be considered unusual. But Romeo had learned that each stare meant something, and the one he was looking at meant nothing good.<p>

"That girl," Flare murmured, twisting her fingers in her hair. "She's using Father's gift."

"But that's good, isn't it?" Romeo asked slowly. "You gave it to her because you wanted his power to live on."

"That would depend on your definition of 'good', I think," Whitestar explained. "Mirajane was warned. If she is using that power, her enemy must be someone that she wants completely destroyed. To use it for anything else... there simply is no other reason for her to use it. So I would wager that this enemy is truly dangerous. And if Mirajane is unable to control that power, she will prove more dangerous still. Only Flare could stop her then, and she will not."

"Why is that?" Romeo asked.

"I cannot kill another member of Fairy Tail," Flare responded. "Natsu would be angry... and you would be banished, Romeo. But killing her is all I could do, if she lost control. I know of no other way for me to stop her. Perhaps, if there is someone in the guild she loves more than her own life, they could stop her. But even then, it would be very dangerous."

Romeo shook his head. "I don't accept that. Mira is the strongest mage in Fairy Tail. Your father's spirit trusted that she could use that power wisely, or else he wouldn't have asked you to give it to her. On my honor as the future guardian of Sun Village, I'm telling you, Mira would never lose control that way. She would only use his power to protect, and so long as she was doing that, she would have it firmly in hand. That's what it means to be a guardian, right?"

Flare smiled faintly. "I've taught you well, Romeo. Our village is in good hands."

Romeo grinned at her. "Yeah. And so is Fairy Tail."

* * *

><p>Carla's eyes snapped open, and she sat up at once. "They're coming!" she screamed, badly startling everyone else in the bedroom. Yukino, Wendy, and Lilu, who had all been taking a nap, stared at her with wide eyes.<p>

"What?" Wendy finally asked. "Who is coming, Carla?"

"I don't know! But someone is on their way to attack Fairy Tail right now! I saw it in a vision! And it isn't just one person! It's a whole army!"

Yukino paled. "Wendy, take Lilu to her room, and warn the other Dragon Slayers!" After a pause, she added, "Even Flare. We may need her."

"What are you going to do?" Wendy asked.

"I need to warn everyone else, and confirm this. It's not that I don't believe Carla, but we need to know where this army came from, and what it wants."

"We already know both," Erza said as she walked into the room. "Twilight Ogre and Sabertooth have joined forces, and have issued a demand. They want Yukino returned... and they also want Lilu." Noticing Yukino's worried look, she smiled. "We told them to rot in hell, of course. Neither of you is going anywhere. On my honor as Fairy Tail's First Mageknight, I swear that I will protect you both."

"Then it's my fault?" Yukino whispered.

"No. I'm sure that's just an excuse. Twilight Ogre has always wanted Lilu. This is just the first time they've been so obvious about it. And while I don't doubt that Sabretooth wants Yukino back, they would have been wiser to negotiate peacefully. No, this is just an excuse. They want Fairy Tail destroyed. Why else would they wait until our three strongest mages were away?"

"Then we're going to fight?" Carla asked.

"Of course. I'm heading out to meet the army right now. Yukino, Lisanna wants you with her. Wendy, take Lilu to her room, then come and find me. I will need your support magic."

"But what about Lilu?" Wendy demanded, picking up her little niece. "I should protect her!"

Erza shook her head. "We have that covered, trust me. Lilu is safest in her room, and anyway, the danger will never get that far. I may not be a Dragneel, but I've been protecting them long enough to know of what I speak. Now, go."

Frowning, Wendy nodded and kissed Lilu's cheek. "Come on, Lilu."

Lilu grabbed Yukino's sleeve as Wendy started to pass her. "Yuki! Wen-Wen! Za!" She raised her little fists and shook them. "Fight! Win!"

Erza smiled and rubbed Lilu's head. "We never do anything else, Lilu. Be a good girl for Wendy."

* * *

><p>"That went... better than I expected. So consider this my resignation."<p>

Chuckling to himself, Silver Fullbuster turned and began to walk, slowly and painfully, towards his predetermined fate. Behind him loomed the building of the dark guild Tartarus...

...completely frozen over.

It had been a costly fight, to be sure. If Silver had still been alive when it started, he would certainly be dead several times over now. But there were benefits to being a dead man, and still more to being unable to feel the unforgiving chill of the ice that was steadily pouring from his body, and would continue to do so until hs body simply fell apart on him.

Which wouldn't be much longer now.

But there were still three things that he had to do, and he had waited long enough. He would see them through, if only because there was nothing else worthwhile that he could do. And when he did face his son in the afterlife, he wanted to have done at least one thing that Gray would be proud of. Even if it only meant he'd made up for a single sin, it would be something. That would have to be enough.

Gone was the once-imposing aura that Silver had worn as one of the Nine Demon Gates of Tartarus. His armor, still in blood-stained pieces, had been left behind. He wore only a bulky, blue bodysuit, which would at least slow down the steady flow of his magic as it escaped his body. There was no way to turn it off now, however. And when it ran out, he was dead. For good this time, as far as he knew. Keith was certainly in no position to revive him now, and even if he had been, he would refuse solely of spite. Though perhaps it was a point of pride for a necromancer, not to restore a zombie that had betrayed and killed him.

All that mattered was that Silver saw Natsu, Juvia, and Flair before he died. In that order, if things went like he thought they would with each of them.

* * *

><p>Whenever anyone managed to put Lilu down for a nap, two things were always in her crib.<p>

The first was Happy, which needed no explanation. On the day Lilu was born, Happy chose to no longer follow Natsu: he would follow her instead. Natsu never asked him to do that, and in all honesty, Natsu never had to. It would be the same for Pantherlily and Carla, if Gajeel or Wendy ever had children.

The second was Mimi, Lilu's favorite doll. Lilu had a small mountain of stuffed animals, monsters, and fantastic creatures... but only one doll. To the casual observer, Mimi was not even all that great a doll. Her sun-kissed hair was very much faded. Her vast wardrobe consisted entirely of clothing that had been stitched and re-stitched, over and over again. Also, one of her eyes tended to fall off no less than twice a month. It was always found, eventually. Mimi had been old even when Lilu first inherited her, but the doll was clearly in it for the long haul. Her smile, though lopsided, was stained a permanent pink from Lilu's first experiment with transformation magic. Once, someone had foolishly suggested replacing Mini with a new doll. Lilu had carried Mimi under her arm for a whole week afterward, refusing baths and sleep (more than she usually did, anyway), convinced that someone would take Mimi when she wasn't looking. She had only been satisfied when Lisanna sewed an ID tag, specially designed by Reedus, onto Mimi's back. It expanded on contact (something of a necessity), and stated in detail Mimi's full name, owner, address, and that any attempt to destroy or remove her would invoke the full and combined wrath of Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, and anyone else they could convince to help them eliminate offenders.

(That last part was not _entirely_ true, although it was true that each aforementioned guild turned up bearing presents on Lilu's birthdays. It was also true that Lilu insisted on calling Jura "Grampy": not just because he was older than Natsu, but because he made a tiny volcano that shot out coins every time he saw her. Lilu's favorite toys included a snowglobe from Lyon which curiously spelled out Juvia's name in a longing sort of way anytime she got near it; a "toy" sword from Kagura that dug a trench six feet deep the first time it was unsheathed; and a kitten costume from Milliana that somehow turned Lilu into an actual Exceed each time she put it on, was ridiculously complicated to remove, and which Lilu always managed to find no matter where Lisanna had attempted to hide it.)

Both Happy and Mimi were defensive measures, in the extremely unlikely event that an enemy got that close to Lilu, which almost never happened. But could, for example, if the majority of the guild was occupied by a large-scale invasion.

The man that practically slithered out of the shadows in Lilu's room was certainly such an enemy. His name was Vastil, and he was the best kept secret of Twilight Ogre, in part because only their Master even knew he was a member. Vastil was a Shadow God Slayer, and had been picked for this task for that very reason. There were some dark guilds that would pay any price for the daughter of Natsu Dragneel, preferably dead. Twilight Ogre, as a legal guild, didn't operate that way. There was no profit for them to simply kill such a valuable child, and they were all about profit. Instead, Vastil had been ordered to kidnap Lilu. A ransom would have been nice, but then anyone could just follow the money and figure out exactly who had Lilu. No, Twilight Ogre's plan was to wipe out Fairy Tail and raise Lilu as their own. Even if she got curious about her real family, they'd be dead. End of story, case closed.

This was the plan. It didn't quite work out that way.

Even though the invasion ultimately failed, it successfully served its purpose as a distraction. Practically every member of the guild, except Happy, was currently either away on a mission, or busy preventing the invasion. And Vastil had come prepared to kill the Exceed, if it came to that. He didn't particularly care for cats, and certainly didn't own one.

Lilu was asleep on her stomach in the center of the crib, head turned to one side and tushie stuck high into the air. Happy was beside her in a similar pose, his tail twitching every now and then. Mimi sat between them, staring up at Vastil with a fairly empty expression. More or less what he'd expected, in other words.

What he didn't expect was for a sword wider than his body to suddenly slam into his side. The impact drove him into the wall, breaking the majority of his bones and crushing more than a few vital organs. The last thing Vastil saw was his blood dripping from a flower-shaped shield with Fairy Tail's emblem in the center. As his vision began to fail him, he heard a soft voice in his ear.

"For the crime of bringing evil into the home of my mistress, I, Michelle Heartfilia, Third Mageknight of Fairy Tail, sentence you to an eternity of imprisonment."

Something sharp and alive pierced his neck, and all of Vastil's pain (and there was quite a lot of it) began to fade. He thought it was because he was dead, but it had more to do with the fact that his body was rapidly converting to that of a small, stuffed ogre. In just a few seconds, it was impossible to tell that it had ever been human at all.

A thorny vine wound its way from Michelle's shoulder, picked up the stuffed ogre, and carefully added it to the top of the pile of toys in the corner, where Lilu would easily spot it the next day. With her task completed, Michelle turned to the crib, releasing a wave of magic as she moved that seemingly repaired the damage to the wall and removed the bloodstains. She was no good at cleaning, but she could hide a mess with the best of them.

That was when she felt it: an unmistakable presence at the very edge of her perception.

For the past few years, Michelle's world had consisted entirely of Lilu. Natsu had embedded a lacrima in Michelle's core, he said, because Lucy would have done it, had she known it was an option. And though it had been Michelle's overriding instinct to find Lucy and bring her home, Natsu had asked her not to. The infusion of magic provided by the lacrima was not permanent, as Michelle was not truly a person. Once her magic was spent, she would return to her original form of a doll. Natsu had found a way around that, but there was a catch: it would only work if Michelle was a member of Fairy Tail. Joining the same guild as Lucy had been an easy choice, but Michelle had hesitated for one reason: she would have to obey Natsu, and she already knew that he would ask her not to look for Lucy. He had an excellent reason, of course: if Michelle's core was damaged, there was a high chance that she would either lose the ability to use magic, or simply cease to exist. Just as important, the new magic flowing through her was strongest within the guild, surrounded by her guildmates.

Acceptance had not come easily. Michelle Lobster had been a disguise, and assuming that form again would have been wrong. Instead, Michelle had taken her truest form: Imitatia, although she no longer went by that name. Michelle was what her owner had named her, and that was what she would answer to. No one but Natsu had understood her reasoning, at first. Erza had finally been won over by the idea of having another swordswoman in the guild to spar with, and it just came easily after that. Even so, Michelle still had not truly felt like part of the guild, until Lilu was born.

Finally, here was someone who knew nothing of her past, who wouldn't judge her motives, who would appreciate Michelle solely for who she was in either form. But the connection worked both ways. And now that Michelle could finally sense Lucy again, she was torn. She wanted, needed to go to her, even if meant Lucy's face might be the last thing she ever saw. But that would mean leaving Lilu, her sworn mistress, possibly for good. Michelle had been in Lilu's care, as much as Lilu had been in hers. The thought of leaving her actually hurt, more than Michelle had ever guessed it might.

"Mimi go?" a soft voice whispered.

Michelle turned to find Lilu peering through the bars of the crib at her. The child seemed sad, but resigned.

"Yes, Mistress," Michelle answered. "There is something I must do, and then I will return to your side." The lie came easily, perhaps because she did not want it to be one.

Lilu was satisfied, if not pleased with the response. "Back soon?"

Michelle nodded, knowing she might have little choice in that. Along with the magic that powered her was a failsafe spell that would teleport her back to the guild if her magic reserves were nearing depletion. She could resist it, of course, if she didn't mind dying. And for Lucy, she just might have to.

"Lilu miss Mimi," Lilu murmured, lowering her head.

Wincing, Michelle reached down and lightly brushed her fingers over Lilu's head. "I'm sorry, Mistress. I will explain everything when I return." _If I return_... it wasn't something she could bring herself to say to Lilu. "Happy will protect you while I'm away."

Lilu turned to the sleeping Exceed beside her and gave him a poke. "Hap! Up!"

Happy came awake at once, and was instantly alarmed when he saw that Michelle had assumed her human form. "They're here?!" he cried, glancing around the room anxiously.

"I've taken care of the intruder," Michelle explained. "But they know where Lilu is, and she should be moved at once. Erza is in battle, and Lily is away. Since the Three Mageknights cannot protect her, she must be entrusted to a relative."

Happy nodded. "Lisanna would want Lilu with her, so that's where we'll go. She wouldn't be fighting right now." That was probably true, as Lisanna had been on the reserve list since her pregnancy was confirmed. She preferred to stay behind and keep the support members organized during a crisis, which had more or less been Mirajane's old job. Naturally, Lilu's bodyguard had always been the strongest available mage: usually Mirajane. If she was unavailable, Erza or one of the other Mageknights took on the task. This was the first time Mirajane and all the Mageknights had been otherwise occupied, but Happy knew that Natsu would only be satisfied with a blood relative or an S-rank mage protecting Lilu. Luckily, Lisanna was both. Unfortunately for the invaders, she would be extremely upset to learn about the abduction attempt. Perhaps upset enough to come out of reserve and show them exactly why it was such a bad idea to even think of kidnapping a Dragneel.

* * *

><p>Concluded in <strong>Chapter 6: B.F.U.L. and Lilu<strong>

The battle between Zeref's Slayers and the Dragneel dragons comes to an end. Lucy and Cana decide where they truly belong. Silver attempts to make amends in the limited time he has left.

* * *

><p><strong>Endnotes<strong>:

In this chapter, I essentially incorporated my take on the who Natsu really loves debate. I have no real preference as to who he ends up with, but for the sake of this story, Lisanna worked best.

There was a noseless earth dragon in the past, his name wasn't given. So I made my own: Titanbreak. You saw it here first!

I figure if Flare comes from a village under Atlas Flame's protection, and can use some fire-oriented hair magic, she's pretty much the only person who _could_ be Atlas's Dragon Slayer. I also figure a giant Dragon Slayer might be overkill. Though, based on how badly modern Dragon Slayers did against ancient dragons, maybe not.

I didn't kill Gray because I hate him. Actually, I killed him because he had no real role in this story, and it fit perfectly into what I needed. And I must remind you, he also died in the manga, even if it didn't stick. I admit I'm glad it didn't, otherwise we might know nothing about Silver.

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><p>Made-Up Magics:<p>

Natsu

Blood Rune Art: Fairy Black: A guild stamp for members whose status is in question. While similar in appearance to guild stamps that were originally black, these will vanish entirely if certain conditions are met, leaving no proof of membership in Fairy Tail.

Blood Rune Art: Dragneel Stamp: A customized guild stamp for members of Natsu's family.

Dragneel Law: A declaration that an unforgivable wrong has been committed against the Dragneel family, and that the offender(s) will suffer the family's full wrath. The spell acts as a key that unlocks the family's most powerful magic, which is normally sealed away.

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><p>Titanbreak<p>

TerraForma: Allows Titanbreak's body to quickly merge with the ground and re-emerge elsewhere.

Canyon Crafter Cannon: Titanbreak's roar. In addition to the roar itself, a canyon opens up in the ground underneath its passage.

Blood Rune Art: Endless Warriors: Earth clones infused with dragon's blood to make them more durable. If destroyed, they simply reform.

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><p>Elfman<p>

Beast Soul: Titanbreak: Elfman assumes the form of Titanbreak, the Earth Dragon.

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><p>Whitestar<p>

Sun Summoning: Eternal Guardian: A spell given to Sun Village inhabitants that summons a small portion of Atlas Flame's soul.

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><p>Mirajane<p>

Satan Soul: Atlas Flame: Mirajane assumes the form of Atlas Flame, the Hellfire Dragon.

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><p>Flare<p>

Hellfire Dragon Art: Inferno Blessing: Flare unleashes a basic, mid-sized explosion. Though not very large, its focus is on consuming anything within the blast radius. It is Flare's preferred method of destroying a small group of enemies.

Hellfire Dragon Devil's Spear: A fusion of Hellfire Dragon Slayer and Fire Devil Slayer magic that creates a flaming spear with incredible piercing power.


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